


Clair de Lune

by caleyedoscope



Series: Claire de Lune [1]
Category: DBSK|Tohoshinki|TVXQ, JYJ - Fandom, K-pop, SHINee, SMTown, So Nyuh Shi Dae | Girls' Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/M, M/M, Patricia Briggs - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-19
Updated: 2013-10-19
Packaged: 2017-12-29 21:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 42,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1010168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caleyedoscope/pseuds/caleyedoscope
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaejoong keeps himself cut off from his pack of werewolves, afraid of what they'll think when they find out he's their Alpha's destined mate. But when bodies start to pile up and a stray wolf is given to them by their sworn enemies, Jaejoong realizes he might not be able to keep his secret for much longer. Even if it means the end of everything he knows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to make this clear. This is from the universe of Patricia Briggs' werewolf/supernatural books (which everyone should read!) I know other kpop fic authors have dabbled in this 'verse and written their own takes on it, but I wanted to do my own and this is it. Just so we're all on the same page, no pun intended.

“There’s a family of cockroaches breeding in the cereal.”

Jaejoong would have thrown a fit, but he’s sure Changmin had only said it to illicit a reaction, and if Jaejoong had shown any fear so close to the full moon, Changmin would consider it an edge in their monthly competition for dominance. Also, Jaejoong’s mouth is full of hot tea and opening it would result in Boa being sprayed and possibly being hurt (annoyed, at the very least,) and then Yoochun would rip Jaejoong to pieces, probably before Yunho could get there to stop him.

So the first thing Jaejoong did was swallow. “You are a big, scary, werewolf. Squish it. And throw the cereal away; God knows what’s in there with it.”

He was hard pressed to keep the grin off face when Changmin huffed, and he had to hide his smile behind his mug. Sometimes, getting the best of Changmin was too easy. Jaejoong was going to win this month if it killed him.

“We need milk,” Changmin continued.

“Add it to the list,” Boa said, “It’s Yoochun’s turn to shop this week, I’ll make sure he gets it.”

“Some more steak?” Changmin asked, hopefully. “We’re running low and it’s close to the full moon, so—“

“If you shut up,” Boa growled. 

As Yoochun’s mate, the third most dominant in Yunho’s pack, she took her rank from him, which was why Changmin listened to her and pressed his lips together, motioning an imaginary zipper. If it had been Jaejoong they’d be rolling on the ground by now trying to tear each others arms out of their sockets. 

Or maybe legs. Changmin’s legs were far too nice for his face in Jaejoong’s opinion. 

He took another sip of his tea, mentally planning out his day. He had several chapters in his book he had to finish writing, and so long as nothing terrible happened, he intended to bury himself in his study and pound them out. His fingers were practically itching to get started. Maybe he’ll insert another dead body in there somewhere—one with its legs pulled off. His editor would love it. Dead things always keep his readers’ attention.

Usually. Too much and they tended to close the book. Jaejoong didn’t write horror and doing so was never his intent. Though speaking of dead bodies and people fixations on them, Jaejoong heard a sound on the stairs and knew it was Yunho. Yunho who had rushed out to take a look at a suspicious crime site at midnight, just as Jaejoong was going to bed.

He stuffed his feelings as far down into himself as they would go, managing to smile when Yunho walked into the kitchen. Yunho, as he did every morning, brushed a hand across Jaejoong’s lower back (an attempt, Junsu had said, to get Jaejoong to open up to the pack more,) and then when straight for the coffee. He smelled good, and Jaejoong could tell Yunho had slept well. There was no trace of his late night jaunt in the woods and if he had found anything about the body that had been discovered there, it was clear he wasn’t going to say. At least not yet.

“We have a cockroach problem,” Changmin said, frowning at Yunho as their Alpha measured sugar into his cup.

“You’re a wolf,” Yunho said, “Squish them.”

“That’s what I told him,” This time, Jaejoong didn’t bother to hide his grin. Changmin wouldn’t start anything now that Yunho was awake. He turned to look at Jaejoong, clearly surprised that a normally ornery Jaejoong was cheerful. 

“It was _in my food_ ,” Changmin pressed, shaking the box in front of Yunho’s nose, though careful to not look at him.

“I’ll call someone about it later,” Yunho promised, in a tone that meant Changmin was supposed to drop it. He frowned as he looked around, noting the people that were awake. “Where’s Yoochun?”

“Dropped off Seohyun at the hospital for her shift,” Boa said, “Then had to visit a work site before he went to the office. Need him?”

“I’ll take Changmin,” Yunho said, turning to their youngest. “Ara called me last night. Says she has a present. I have a suspicion it has to do with that death a few days ago.”

At the mention of the gumiho, the mood in the room soured, and Jaejoong could hear Changmin’s growl even over the sound of cockroaches being cracked in half.

“I have a test,” Changmin said, “I can’t miss it; it’s worth forty percent of my grade.”

Which left Jaejoong, and no one needed to say it. “I’ll go get dressed,” Jaejoong said, before Yunho order him, “My book can wait.” His fictional dead body with missing legs could wait. He heard someone heave a sigh as he walked out and moment later, Boa’s footsteps followed him into his room. He threw off his clothes, not in the least bothered by Boa watching him, and tried very hard to keep himself in control of the situation.

“You could at least open up to Yoochun,” she started. It was maybe the fifth time she’d said it to him in the last week. Possibly the sixth; Jaejoong’s not sure if that one where he overheard her telling Jinki counted.

“What I do with my Wolf is none of your concern,” Jaejoong growled. His standard response.

“You are pack,” Boa pointed out, “Family, Jaejoong. We can all feel that there’s something missing.”

Not him, Jaejoong knew, but the bond between himself and Yunho, the answer to a claim Jaejoong’s wolf had made the moment they had seen the Alpha. But no one could know that, and since Jaejoong had been able to convince his wolf of that, then no one was going to find out. It was too dangerous. Jaejoong didn’t want to be thrown out of _another_ pack. He wouldn’t be able to handle it and his wolf would go crazy. The smarter choice would be for him to just kill himself now.

“Let us in,” Boa pleaded.

“I can feel you all just fine.” Not distinctly, like Yunho could, but if he wanted to, Jaejoong could find each member of the pack. And with Boa standing so close to him, he didn’t need the pack bond to tell that she was angry; he could smell it, despite her calm exterior.

Yunho was angry too. And currently walking into Jaejoong’s room with a stormy expression on his face that had Boa darting out the door and Jaejoong averting his eyes. “This is an important meeting,” Yunho said, and in a grand attempt to control himself, took a deep breath.

“I know that,” Jaejoong kept still, even as Yunho reached out to put a hand on Jaejoong’s shoulder. He made Wolf down on the feelings that arose because of it and held them tight. 

“I need you,” Yunho said, and as much as Jaejoong wanted it to mean something entirely different, he knew what Yunho meant: _I need you to be present_. And Jaejoong was. “We leave in ten.”

“Okay,” He whispered to the floor. 

Yoochun had told him that Yunho had considered making Jaejoong open up to the pack bond, to let his feelings out and allow them to heal whatever it was that ailed his mind. But he was better than that, had more control than the average Alpha, even when it concerned his pack, and ultimately didn’t want to force Jaejoong, even when Yunho knew he should. “If you were in any other pack,” Yoochun had hissed at him. But that was a moot point, since being in another pack meant Jaejoong wouldn’t have met Yunho and there would be no problem in the first place.

Yunho squeezed Jaejoong’s shoulder and left, leaving Jaejoong able to breathe easy and wonder how he was going to survive the day stuck in a car with his Alpha. 

His Alpha that he desperately wanted to kiss.

—

Jaejoong didn’t hate being a werewolf. He didn’t hate his pack, nor did hate Yunho. It was irritating, yes, to have people in his head (at least as far as he would allow them to go,) and frustrating sometimes, to live with a whole bunch of people who knew _almost_ everything about you. But he loved them. All of them, one in very different way than the rest.

And as he knew, sitting beside Yunho in the car was very unhelpful in his precarious situation. Even pretending to sleep didn’t help, because Yunho knew Jaejoong wasn’t actually sleeping and tried to talk to him anyway.

“I didn’t think either of us needed to change,” Yunho said, “But if you’re uneasy, you can let your wolf out.”

Jaejoong was uneasy, but it had nothing to do with visiting a crazy gumiho. Which was clearly all wrong. “I’m fine. But if you think I need to, I will.”

Yunho didn’t respond so Jaejoong let it be. “Maybe I should have brought a gun,” Yunho said.

“That would only provoke her. You’re weapon enough as it is.”

Truthfully, Yunho could easily rip apart Ara without having to think twice about it, but that would start a war. Coexisting peacefully was a lot easier than fighting and trying to hide it from humans. They always got suspicious when the body count started to get too high.

Gumihos weren’t villainous by nature and in fact Jaejoong knew of some very pleasant ones that ran an Inn on Jeju. But Ara was crazy. Crazy for werewolves, crazy for Yunho, and subsequently willing to do anything to get him. Jaejoong hoped it wouldn’t ever come down to that because he’s not sure he’d be able to stop his wolf from taking over if something happened to Yunho. Acknowledged or no, Wolf saw Yunho as their mate, and while Wolf let Jaejoong do as pleased, any harm befalling Yunho would end that.

“If this is related to the death—“ Yunho started. Jaejoong remembered he had forgotten to ask about it. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t help much, anyway.”

“I doubt Ara will tell you that. She may not even know; the police don’t tell her things like they do you.”

“They do tend to talk around me,” Yunho commented. His thumb tapped the wheel.

“Probably only because you’re big and scary.”

“You think I’m scary?” Yunho asked. Jaejoong didn’t need to look to know he had an eyebrow raised.

“You’re Alpha.” Jaejoong let his head rest against the window, intent on being done with the conversation.

But Yunho was not done with him. Jaejoong very nearly jumped when Yunho reached over and took his hand in a firm grip. “An Alpha isn’t supposed to be scary. Maybe to those that threaten people I love. But I am not supposed to frighten my pack.”

Not a conversation Jaejoong wanted to have. And he was far too focused on Yunho’s hand and how it felt against his own to bother about a proper response. It hadn’t meant anything, because what could Yunho do while driving except grab Jaejoong’s hand? But it felt nice and Jaejoong realized a beat too late that he let that feeling escape him before his wolf could clamp down it.

He knew the moment Yunho picked up on it because his grip tightened. Wolf seemed incredibly pleased he had gotten this by Jaejoong’s guard, and preened a little, the pretentious bastard. Jaejoong inwardly cringed, because he knew his Alpha, much as he professed to not. Yunho wanted Jaejoong to open up, and if he knew Jaejoong liked the feel of his hand, he would use that to get his way.

Or at least try. Yunho could hold his hand all day long and Jaejoong would never tell him. Will never. He spent the rest of the car ride completely cut off from Yunho, not caring how it looked, and sent a silent prayer of thanks into the sky when they got to Ara’s mansion and Yunho let his hand go.

They parked underneath a cherry tree (“For the shade,” Yunho said,) and Jaejoong already knew there’d be a layer of petals on the windshield when they left. He hoped they wouldn’t be in a hurry, because that would be a bitch to clean off.

The mansion is western, something unexpected for a skulk of ancient gumihos, but Jaejoong knew Go Ara and he was sure it had something to do with them trying to blend into society. Not that it worked. Yunho’s contacts in the police told him the house full of women had more than once come under suspicion for prostitution. It was probably true, but Jaejoong knew that the men who came in through these doors never came out, at least not without losing their heart or liver.

It was nice to know neither he or Yunho were men, technically speaking.

They approached warily, entering through the ancient doorway on their own, and a second later greeted by a servant. Her scent told Jaejoong she was a gumiho.

“The mistress is expecting you.”

They submitted to a search, Jaejoong having to force done his irritated wolf as they watched two women pat down Yunho’s body, and not detachedly. _Stop it,_ he told his wolf, _There is nothing to be done about this. Cut it out._

_They are touching what is ours_.

_He’s isn’t ours. He will never be. Now, focus._

“Jaejoong.” Yunho was giving him the eye. The women were holding open the doors for both of them.

“Sorry,” Jaejoong muttered, mentally cuffing his wolf.

“I need you,” Yunho hissed at him. Pain blossomed on Jaejoong’s bicep where Yunho gripped it. “Stop spacing out.”

Jaejoong wrenched away from him, but nodded. 

They were escorted into Ara’s bedroom—or at least that’s what it looked like to Jaejoong. Chambers might have been a better word, archaic as it sounds, but there was a king sized bed with red velvet drapery, a thick burgundy rug covering the floor of a living room, and warmly colored curtains covered gothic windows. She was barely dressed in anything, all nine of her fox tails fanned out and framing her small body. 

She smiled, eyes only for Yunho, and looked like she wanted to pet some part of him and then drag him to a bed. It made the hair on the back of Jaejoong’s neck stand up and he only just managed not to growl. Wolf wanted to kill her already.

“Ara,” Yunho greeted. His voice was ice itself and Jaejoong couldn’t even help his satisfaction. Their leader was formidable.

She glowered a moment before shrugging, and beckoned them further inside.

“I asked you here because I caught something.”

Jaejoong very nearly snorted.

“I thought you could help me with it.”

“Something dangerous?” Yunho asked. His arms cross over themselves and Wolf muttered into Jaejoong’s head, _look how sexy he is._ Jaejoong clamped down further on him.

“That depends on how you look at it, I guess.”

She grinned, clapping her hands twice.

A gumiho walked into the room yanking a silver chain behind him—a chain that was attached to a half-ragged _thing_ it actually took Jaejoong a few seconds to recognize, steeped as he was in gumiho scents.

It was a werewolf. A male, half-starved and crazed, with marks still healing across his back. _Silver_ , Jaejoong thought, shuddering. Yunho growled, his protective instincts immediately kicking in at the sight of him and Jaejoong had to set his teeth and dig his fingernails into his palms to keep still, Yunho’s wish to scoop the wolf up almost too powerful to resist. 

He was a new wolf, Jaejoong could immediately tell, and new wolves are dangerous without an Alpha to control them. Deadly, usually, and suddenly the body Yunho had gone to investigate yesterday made much more sense.

“We found him in the mountains.”

“Ara,” Yunho said, voice deep and throaty, “That is not one of mine.”

“I know,” she grinned, one of her tails flicking, “But I thought you might like him. His name is Minho! He refused to change for me,” she pouted at this, clearly put out, “So I don’t know what he looks like, but I can imagine! Beautiful, I’m sure. Majestic,” she crooned, cupping Minho’s face in her palms. “Anyway. He’s become a problem so I thought you could help.”

“A problem?” Yunho asked. It was in his _I’m trying to remain calm but really want to tear your throat apart_ tone of voice. 

“Don’t you want him?”

“You should have called me immediately.”

“Well, I’ve called you now, haven’t I?” Two of her tails flicked in unison, a sure sign she was getting agitated. When it got to four, Jaejoong knew there’d be trouble. Gumihos were not pleasant creatures and never would be, despite their attempts to disguise themselves as pretty women. That she allowed her tails to show at all was an excellent indicator of her readiness for a fight. 

“I think it’s best if we take him and go,” Jaejoong heard himself say.

“Why did you wait?” Yunho asked. Jaejoong’s not sure if he’d been heard or not. Probably not, with the way Yunho’s jaw was twitching.

She grinned, her teeth lengthening a moment as a third tail started to tremble with excitement.

“Where’s the fun in not?” 

It was almost too fast for Jaejoong, but he got in front of Yunho’s charge in time to stop it. “The boy is our priority,” he said to his leader, “The boy, Yunho. The wolf. He needs care.”

Badly. The stink of his wounds was almost overpowering.

Yunho growled, his eyes glowing completely gold at this point and Jaejoong knew all Ara would have to do is plant one more well placed barb to upend Yunho’s control entirely. He knew exactly what he had to do to keep that from happening and in a rare show of possession, slid a layer of his mental protection off and latched a little more firmly onto the pack bonds. Temporarily, of course. He would let go once they were out of here safely. 

But it was enough. 

Yunho started, his eyes bleeding dark and Jaejoong let out a breath in relief. “The boy,” he said firmly, when Yunho turned to stare at him slack jawed. 

It was risky, because it could technically be interpreted as an order, but Yunho was smart enough to not push it. “Next time,” Yunho said, pronouncing his words precisely, “Please call me immediately. It’s not safe to have a unknown stray in my territory. Release those chains.”

The gumiho servant did it without thinking twice. Ara did not look pleased, and Jaejoong’s wolf brimmed in satisfaction with his Alpha. No one could resist him for long and Wolf took great pleasure in pointing out to Jaejoong that it was only a matter of time before he succumbed as well. _Stuff it_ , Jaejoong hissed and mentally cuffed his wolf before Yunho could yell at him again.

“Come,” Yunho beckoned to the wolf lying on the floor and Jaejoong had to swallow his frustration as the boy crawled on his hands and knees, unable to stand fully. Jaejoong met him half way, hauling him to his feet and then just lifting him up into his arms when he didn’t walk fast enough. He was a gangly thing, and were he properly fed, would probably be just as strong as Jaejoong. “We’ll be going.”

“Until next time then.” Ara’s smile was back, though she was clearly disappointed. Her tails had stopped twitching.

Neither Jaejoong of Yunho gave her a response. The walk back out to the car was a lot less tense than the walk in had been, though Jaejoong was so alert he nearly overloaded his senses. The windshield was covered in sakura petals, as Jaejoong had predicted and Yunho wiped them away with a single swipe of his arm. 

He ordered Jaejoong into the backseat of the car, resting Minho beside him. He laid down without being asked and Jaejoong cradled his head, stroking back the wolf’s hair and tucking it behind his ear. The boy hadn’t said a word, keeping his eyes down and throat tilted towards anyone that so much as glanced his way. It wasn’t submissive; it was just fear, and that made Jaejoong angry. Being fearful defeats the purpose of keeping dominant wolves calm, and Jaejoong’s presence certainly wasn’t helping Yunho stay calm. The steering wheel was starting to reshape itself underneath his fingers.

Quickly, Jaejoong pulled out his cellphone, texting Yoochun with a carefully worded suggestion to pick Seohyun back up from the hospital.

“What’s your name?” Jaejoong asked the wolf, petting his boy’s head encouragingly.

It took a moment to get an answer, before the wolf said softly, “Choi Minho.”

“Minho,” Jaejoong mused.

A glance at Yunho told him he’d heard it, though he wouldn’t say anything until he had calmed more and was in control of his emotions. They couldn’t get to Seohyun fast enough, as far as Jaejoong was concerned.

They were still five minutes away from the house. 

“Where are you taking me?”

“To our home,” Jaejoong said, “We have someone there that can look at your wounds.”

“I have to go back.”

Yunho very nearly lost control of the car and Jaejoong had to shut his eyes as his stomach lurched. 

“To a gumiho?” Yunho hissed. It was unbelievable.

“Taemin is there.”

This time, Yunho did hit on his brakes too hard and Jaejoong narrowly avoided slamming his face into the back of the passenger seat. “Is that another wolf? _She has another wolf?”_

“I think so.”

“Think or know?”

“Think,” Minho frowned, and then coughed. Jaejoong found himself actually surprised there was no blood coming out from between Minho’s lips.

“Minho first,” Jaejoong said, hand on Yunho’s shoulder. “We can figure out the rest once he’s well. Take the car out of park.”

It wasn’t an order, but when Yunho growled at him, Jaejoong lowered his gaze appropriately. His hand trembled, on Yunho’s shoulder, tightening for only a moment in a silent apology. A moment later, they were driving again, though not breathing any easier. “Do not do that again,” Yunho said. 

An order, and one Jaejoong was happy to obey. He decided to stay silent for the rest of the trip, and just when they were pulling into their driveway, Jaejoong’s phone beeped with a message. _Home with Seohyun. Is everyone safe?_

Jaejoong ignored the message in favor of opening the car door. He struggled until Yunho came around the other side lifting Minho with a gentleness his face did not belie and cradling his body close.

Yoochun bolted out of the house doorway. He reached out and took the wolf from Jaejoong’s arms, clearly seeing the need to act first and ask questions later. “Silver,” Jaejoong said, suddenly exhausted, and realized a moment too late it had been buried in Minho’s body and had been affecting him as well. Yunho caught his elbow before he fell. 

“Easy,” he murmured. Jaejoong’s Wolf was crowing happily as Yunho’s arms came around him, flooding Jaejoong with what power the Alpha could despite Jaejoong’s walls. “You need to clean up, you have blood all over you. Come on.”

Jaejoong blinked, eyes unfocused as he looked down at his clothes. They were ruined. “Crap,” he muttered, “I like this shirt.”

Yunho laughed, helping him over the threshold and past a very curious Changmin. “What can I do?” he was asking. His voice was muted to Jaejoong’s ears, and as his vision swam suddenly, he collapsed against the nearest solid object…which was Yunho. Really, this was not Jaejoong’s day. 

His Wolf was splitting his sides laughing.

He felt Yunho transfer him to Changmin, telling him to get Jaejoong into the shower and to throw the clothes away. Jaejoong let him, not really caring about how Changmin felt taking care of him or what it meant in terms of this month’s dominance. He was mostly just mourning the loss of his shirt. He really _did_ like it.

He felt Changmin step into the shower with him, washing him carefully while he rested against Changmin’s chest, and knew when the flakes of silver were no longer clinging to his skin because he could stand on his own two feet.

“Are you okay?” Changmin actually looked worried.

“Better. Thank you.”

Changmin took a moment to pat Jaejoong’s shoulder. “I’ll be outside if you need me, okay?”

Dominance was a non-issue at this point. It always was, when someone was hurt; their pack was different that way. What did rank matter when someone needed help? Jaejoong let his smile show his gratitude and when he had finished showering and stepped out of the bathroom naked, Changmin was waiting with clothes, with Jaejoong’s favorite favorite outfit, his comfiest one, and Changmin helped Jaejoong dress in the middle of the hallway.

“You sure you’re alright?”

“Just gonna find Junsu,” Jaejoong muttered. The submissive would calm him, and Changmin nodded, wandering off down the hall to where there were muffled groans of pain. Minho. Jaejoong turned away.

He was very near crawling from exhaustion when he discovered Junsu curled up with one of Jaejoong’s mystery novels and a cup of tea in the living room. It’s something herbal that made Jaejoong want to sneeze.

“This is my favorite one,” Junsu tells him, when Jaejoong’s half buried into his side. 

“Me too,” Jaejoong told him, “I wish I could write another one like it.”

“You still haven’t showed me your new one.”

“I’m still stuck on the ending,” Jaejoong pouted, and the thought of the work waiting for him made him growl. It was frustrating, plotting out a story, writing it all the way up to the climax before realizing it’s not at all what you wanted and the final few chapters were going to have to go in a completely different direction.

“When you’re done, then,” Junsu said, and his hand on Jaejoong’s thigh was soothing and Jaejoong was suddenly quite sure that everything would work out, his book included.

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m so exhausted,” Jaejoong admitted. “I just. I’m so tired, Junsu, nothing makes me happy anymore.”

He heard his wolf grumble quietly that _Yunho_ would make him happy again, but Jaejoong clamped down on the thought and shoved it away.

“Not even writing?” Junsu asked.

“Well, writing helps. Music helps. You help,” Jaejoong smiled, petting the edge of Junsu’s shirt.

“The pack would help.”

The only reason Jaejoong didn’t lash out was because Junsu was submissive, and even mildly scaring him (never mind attacking him) would have the rest of the pack ready to tear Jaejoong to shreds.

“Sorry,” Junsu said immediately, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” Any time of the day, from anyone in the pack, though mostly Boa and Yoochun.

“They only mean well,” Junsu murmured, as if he knew exactly what Jaejoong was thinking, which he probably did. Junsu was good at figuring people out. 

“I know.”

“Jaejoong. This is just something I’ve noticed. And you don’t have to give me an answer. But is it really the pack? You talk to me all the time and when Yunho starts to rant about you—I’ve realized he doesn’t know what I know about you. Is it the pack you’re hiding from or Yunho?”

Perceptive bastard.

“Yunho,” Jaejoong whispered, after a few minutes had passed and Junsu had gone back to reading.

“Why just Yunho?”

Jaejoong loved Junsu like he’d never loved anyone in the whole world. Platonically. He was the only one of the pack Jaejoong can say for sure wouldn’t judge him because he liked men. Liked Yunho. If he didn’t like him, it really wouldn’t be much of a problem. The Marrok, the leader of all Alphas, had a male mate. But they didn’t like each other. They had both been married, they both had children, and while they were affectionate with one another, they had somehow managed to bond without having sex. Without being physically attracted to one another. They refused to tell anyone how they had managed it, and while some believed they were lying, Jaejoong was sure it was true. He had seen them, once, when they had come down together to talk to Yunho about something, and the way they acted together, knew what the other was thinking before they said it, did things for the other without them ever asking aloud, screamed mate.

If Jaejoong thought he could have done that, he would have. But it’s a different situation, because he’d like nothing better than to pin Yunho to a bed and never let him up.

Junsu finished another chapter before Jaejoong can find it in himself to answer.

“Mate. He’s my mate.”

Jaejoong’s book thudded onto the floor as Junsu started, turning his head so as to get a better look at Jaejoong’s face. It was a wonder the tea didn’t splash over the both of them. “ _Yunho_?” He breathed quietly, lowering his voice to a mere whisper. 

“It doesn’t matter.” _He wouldn’t want me_.

He could guess what Junsu was thinking in the silence that followed: _no wonder_. No wonder the pack’s been so disgruntled, so crazy. No wonder Yunho has been going insane.

“You need to tell him,” Junsu whispered. He was careful not to make it an order, but even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered to Jaejoong.

“I can’t.”

“Jaejoong, you must. You _must_.”

“He isn’t going to want me.”

“You don’t know that until you ask. Until you show him. Jaejoong, if he’s your mate you cannot stuff that away. It’s ruining us. Ruining _Yunho_ , and he doesn’t even realize it.”

Jaejoong could only cry. He’d been doing that a lot, lately, but it really wasn’t helping. Junsu did, though, soothing Jaejoong with a hand on his back and running fingers through his hair.


	2. Two

Minho was much better the next day, though he still could not walk without help. Pack magic could have helped to heal him much faster, but as a lone wolf (and a new one at that,) his wounds were closing slowly. And wounds they were. Silver was not kind to werewolves, and Minho seemed more susceptible to it than any wolf Jaejoong had ever met. Seohyun still refused to leave his side for a moment, and Yunho just let her, calling into the hospital for her and asking for a few days off.

But if that wasn’t enough to deal with, Junsu started treating Jaejoong differently and the pack almost immediately noticed. He growled at Yoochun and Boa when they tried to order Jaejoong around, and he had to step in when Junsu got into trouble for it. He took care of Jaejoong more than before and Jaejoong had to fend off Changmin’s irritation with him. Because everyone loved Junsu. Junsu calmed them, pulled them together as a pack, gave the dominate wolves something to protect and the extra attention Jaejoong was receiving only pissed them off more.

But Yunho didn’t say anything, and Jaejoong was grateful. Yunho was an endless stream of patience, so unlike other Alpha leaders Jaejoong had met that were quick to temper and violence. Which isn’t to say that Yunho was innocent of ever hitting a pack member, and not that Jaejoong could get angry about it when he did. It sounded bad, but in a pack of violent werewolves, _animals_ , order was important. _Alpha_ was important, and if a wolf stepped out of line, a hard shove or whack to the back of the head was the only thing that would set them straight.

“You can’t let them order you around, it’s not right.”

“If I didn’t listen to them they’d see it as a challenge. I don’t want to challenge Yoochun or Jinki. They’re both more dominant than I.”

“Not when you’re the Alpha’s mate.”

“We’re not, Junsu. We’re not and you have no right to say that. Keep your mouth shut.”

“Jaejoong, how does he not know? How does he look at you all day long and not realize what you are?”

“I don’t let him,” Jaejoong said, “My wolf hides it. He buries it and together we guard the grave.”

“You make your wolf do that?” Junsu asked, tears in his eyes.

“I don’t make him do anything,” Jaejoong said, “He agrees with me.”

 _For now_ , Wolf said snidely.

“That’s not right.”

“You don’t get to preach to me about what is right. I told you and I expect you to keep my confidence. Now go away.”

He’d hurt him. The way Junsu frowned told Jaejoong that, but he couldn’t be bothered by it. Even though it was hard (and getting harder) to keep his little secret, Jaejoong didn’t want to tell Yunho. Mates were everything to each other. Mates were _made_ for one another, and mating created a bond that allowed for those two people to continually be perfect for each other. Some could even speak telepathically, and others were so in tune with each other they didn’t need to words to know what the other was thinking.

Yunho was Jaejoong’s everything, even from a distance. But Yunho was Alpha, and it was important that the Alpha picked a good mate, someone everyone could stand, and someone everyone could love. Someone that wasn’t Jaejoong.

Junsu didn’t speak to him for a day after that, and as usual, the pack realized it quickly. _Bipolar asshole_ , is what Jaejoong heard them whisper behind his back, and he didn’t argue. They all seemed content to leave him alone and that’s what he wanted. 

All except one.

Changmin cornered him after dinner. “You told Junsu. I can tell by the way he looks at you now. He’s different and you did that to him.”

Jaejoong raised an eyebrow. “What do you care?”

“I care about Junsu. I’m done giving a fuck about how you feel, but he’s in turmoil and you _hurt_ him and I don’t know if I can forgive you that.”

Jaejoong frowned. “What does that mean?”

Changmin took another step into Jaejoong’s space. “Tell me.”

“No.”

“Show me. I want to know what hurt him. I have to know. I have to make it better.”

Jaejoong wondered, just for a moment, if Changmin was only saying this because he, like the rest of the pack, felt a need to protect the submissive wolf. But then why weren’t they all confronting him like Changmin was? Jaejoong wondered if perhaps there was a connection between the two of them he was missing. 

But he didn’t have time to ask. Changmin was nose to nose with him and his eyes were starting to glow golden. It wouldn’t be long before his wolf was in control, and that always started a fight. 

“Back away from me,” Jaejoong hissed.

“No. Not until you tell me what you told Junsu.”

His jaw set, Changmin looked formidable, and it dawned on Jaejoong that this was one of those times Changmin was actually more dominant than he. When Wolf realized it, Jaejoong had to look away. It wasn’t worth a physical fight and Yunho would kill them if they started to duke it out in the living room and broke something expensive. 

With a sigh, their monthly battle for dominance ended. He could smell Changmin’s delight.

“Show me,” Changmin demanded. 

It was innocent, the way he folded his arms and stomped his feet, completely unaware of the darkness Jaejoong held inside himself. That Changmin thought he could deal with it when it clearly weighed down on Jaejoong was actually a bit amusing.

“Fine,” Jaejoong said, “Fine. I will show you.”

And he does, ripping the layers of protection from his soul and slamming all of his fear and hurt and depression and love (love for Yunho, his _mate_ ,) at Changmin with everything he had. 

It only took a second. 

Changmin staggered back from the force of Jaejoong’s feeling, gasping in horror, tears forming in his eyes as the brunt of it overwhelmed him. Jaejoong’s wolf took immediate pleasure in finally being able to making Changmin fall to his knees, but then he was almost immediately upset, because this was clearly foul play and a fight that wasn’t honorable didn’t actually count. Though they no doubt knew Changmin was in mental anguish, Jaejoong wrapped his wolf back up tight before the rest of the pack could feel everything, and knelt beside Changmin cautiously.

“Jaejoong,” Changmin whispered, grasping onto Jaejoong’s arms. “Stupid, naive, idiot-for-a-pack-member-Jaejoong, you have to _tell_ him.”

Jaejoong let his silence speak for him, tears sliding down his face, his snot sticking to Changmin’s shoulder as they both cried, clinging desperately to one another as Changmin ran through Jaejoong’s feeling and memories in his mind and tried to give him what comfort he could without pulling on the rest of the pack.

But it didn’t take long for them to show up, and they looked both betrayed and hurt. They didn’t know specifics, because if they did, there would be outrage in Yunho’s eyes instead of concern, Jaejoong was sure of it. “Are you alright?” Yunho asked, and he sounded hopeful rather than angry. But he wasn’t talking to Jaejoong. 

“No,” Changmin answered, honestly. 

Junsu went down on his knees, pulling Jaejoong away from Changmin and holding him. Jaejoong couldn’t help but notice, however, that Junsu’s eyes never left Changmin, watching Yunho gather him to his chest as he calmed. The Alpha’s warmth rolled around the room with Junsu’s and soothed the raw emotion. “Tell me what happened.” 

“He let me in.”

They had all suspected this, as the expressions on their faces said, but to have it confirmed made them all doubly disappointed in him, and the wave of their emotions nearly broke him in half. He could feel Yunho’s anger, all of the wolves sweltering under the brunt of it, Yoochun the only one that didn’t fall to his knees by the force of it.

“Yunho,” Yoochun murmured softly, his hand on the Alpha’s shoulder, “Yunho, this is not the way to deal with this.”

Several deep breaths later, Jaejoong found himself pulled from Junsu and forced to kneel. “If you want to keep things from me,” Yunho said, “Then that is your choice. But when you to start to hurt yourself—or _my_ wolves, of which you are one—then I get to draw lines, Jaejoong. No one hurts what is mine, especially not one of our own. I would never, _could_ never, kick you out of this pack. I will not. But this is not okay. You are breaking us apart and we aren’t going to last much longer. Think about that, Kim Jaejoong. Think about it and make a decision.”

He lifted Changmin onto his feet with the same gentleness he had used on Minho. His hand came to rest on Changmin’s waist, his face soft as it had never been towards Jaejoong, not even when he had entered the pack. And suddenly, Jaejoong’s Wolf had had enough. He would not allow his mate to touch other men like that, to be kind towards other _wolves_ when he was not like that towards Jaejoong—when Jaejoong would not allow Yunho to be kind to him like that. 

Wolf _wanted_ , and he didn’t care anymore if Jaejoong thought that was a bad thing.

“ _No_.” There was no getting around that it was anything but an order. If Yunho had been any less man and more wolf, Jaejoong would have been dead. “ _Please_.” He was pushed out of his own mind, felt his wolf take control of him and he was too weak, and too tired of fighting to stop him. He could only curl into himself and watch as his wolf spoke. Watch disaster strike.

“Take your hands off of him.”

Yunho had turned. His eyes were golden, though it was clear, even to Jaejoong buried under his wolf, that Yunho was still in complete control. For now.

“Is he yours?” Yunho asked. _Is he your mate_ , was the actual question. Only that would allow room for Jaejoong to get away with what he had said.

“No.”

“Then he belongs to me still and I may do as I please. What have you done with Jaejoong?”

“He is weak.”

“That is not what I asked.”

Jaejoong’s head cocked under the command of Wolf. The room was nearly empty of the pack, Junsu taking Changmin onto his arm and helping him out the door. Jaejoong wished they’d stay. Maybe then Yunho would be less inclined to kill him.

“I am your Alpha, wolf. Do you recognize that?”

Jaejoong knew he did.

“Then you will give Jaejoong back control of his body.”

“I cannot. Not until he understands.”

Fear curled inside Jaejoong’s stomach. He wanted to throw up. Yunho could not find out like this. It was not right. Jaejoong had to tell him, Jaejoong _had to be the one to tell him_.

“Are you what he’s been hiding from me?” Yunho stood before Jaejoong now, arms crossed. He was dangerously close to snapping, Jaejoong could tell. Yoochun ordering the rest of the pack out of the room was a testament to that, a sure sign he didn’t know what was going to happen and that he didn’t trust Yunho to keep his temper. “Are you crazy, wolf?”

“I am not.”

Yunho considered him. “You got upset that I touched Changmin. Jaejoong keeps you under a tight leash, you’ve now blocked him out—for what purpose?”

“He is afraid.”

“And this is going to help him? Are you my wolf or are you not?” Yunho crouched down, leveling himself with Jaejoong and stared hard. “Submit.” 

He was dead. His wolf wasn’t going to do it, he was going to stare Yunho down until the last second and get killed before either of them could say _we want you_.

 _SUBMIT_ , Jaejoong screamed. He could feel his body trembling.

“Submit and give Jaejoong control,” Yunho commanded. “You test us.”

Wolf faltered at the plural pronoun. Yunho was going to lose control soon, too, if something wasn’t done. Jaejoong battered against the walls of the prison he had created in his soul. Submit, submit, submit. His wolf growled.

 _I will tell him!_ Jaejoong screamed, as he saw Yunho’s muscles tense in frustration, _Wolf, I tell him. I will show him, I promise you. Submit. YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT._ His throat was raw even though he wasn’t screaming, his body shaking almost violently and he was so close to retching he could smell the bile rising in his stomach. _Please_ , Jaejoong whispered in his mind, _Before he kills us both. Then we’ll never get to call him ours_.

In a second (though it seemed hours,) Jaejoong was thrown back into his body and he gasped, pitched forward as he tried to hurl himself onto his back, and landed in a heap. He stretched his neck, flinging his arms wide and whimpered. He expected to be hit. He was not disappointed. He let Wolf feel his shame, a sting much more powerful than the one on his cheek, and only opened his eyes when his wolf let out a whine of apology.

“He is sorry,” Jaejoong whispered. He watched fan on the ceiling whirl, unable to move.

“He was wrong to fight with us.”

“I know,” Jaejoong whispered, “He is sorry.”

“He is not the only one who owes us an apology.”

 _You promised me_ , his wolf said, _We need him_.

But Jaejoong didn’t move. He smelt of fear, of dread, and he knew the moment it hit Yunho because he lifted Jaejoong to his feet. 

“Jaejoong, look at me.”

Jaejoong turned his head, swallowing as he saw Yunho’s eyes light with power from his wolf, nearly white. Almost completely controlled by the Alpha wolf inside of him. Jaejoong looked away. “What are you so afraid of?” Yunho asked. Commanded, and his voice was just barely human.

“You.”

For a moment, it looked as though Yunho’s heart had broken.

“I am your Alpha,” he murmured. “I only ever care for you. Worry about you. I want the best for you.”

Then maybe fear wasn’t right. “I’m afraid of hurting you,” Jaejoong corrected.

“You hurt me every time you refuse the pack,” Yunho said. “Every time you push me away. Every time you tell me no but will not explain why.”

That wasn’t right either, then, and Jaejoong took a moment to think. “I’m afraid of rejection,” he finally admitted, and saw the truth as soon as he said it. He was afraid of Yunho not wanting to be his mate and the pack hating him for it.

“Jaejoong,” Yunho whispered against his ear, and it was so kind, so _reverent_ , that Jaejoong couldn’t help the tears that slipped out from under his eyelids. “There is nothing about you that I hate. Save blocking the pack, there is nothing you have ever done to make me upset. I have never rejected you and I never will. Please talk to me. Please tell me what’s wrong. We cannot do this anymore.”

In a rare moment of bravery, Jaejoong decided _what the hell_. If Yunho kicked him out or said no or hated him forever, than at least Jaejoong could say _I told you so_. And then maybe the next person that fell in love with Yunho wouldn’t be hurt, would be loved back, and would make the perfect mate.

He disassembled his armor first, trembling within the tight hug Yunho had wrapped around him, dissolving the barriers he had placed around his heart. Wolf was ecstatic, enthusiastically helping to push his thoughts and feelings to the edge of Jaejoong’s mind.

“Jaejoong?”

His wolf wanted. They could feel Yunho, the roughness of his unshaven cheek pressed into Jaejoong’s hair, the muscles straining underneath his clothes, and Jaejoong decided the best way to say it was to use as few words as possible. He pulled his head back, knowing full well his eyes were no longer dark, and before his Alpha could read into that, said as softly as he could manage, “Mate.”

Jaejoong let it hang there, the weight of his words sinking into the air around them, before making it as clear as he could. He leaned a bit, giving in to what his wolf wanted (what _he_ wanted,) and kissed Yunho on his mouth. Gentle at first, and then, when he didn’t respond, forceful, pushing them back a few steps.

“ _Jaejoong_.”

He could hear Yunho’s tears. Their eyes met and Jaejoong exhaled, letting Yunho in, breaking down the last of the barriers and shuddering as he felt Yunho, his Alpha, absorb Jaejoong’s pain and hurt and _love_ that had been battering at the door of his sanity for years. Just Yunho, though. There was no need to expose the rest of the pack to this before they were ready. He hadn’t even shown Changmin all of it, and while he had told Junsu, he hadn’t allowed him to feel it, and the oversensitive submissive wolf would in no way take to all of Jaejoong’s pain well, even with fair warning.

Yunho let out a muffled sob, and Jaejoong heard his shirt rip where Yunho pulled at it in anguish. “Why wouldn’t you say something?” Yunho asked, “Why wouldn’t you tell me something so important? Why wouldn’t you let me _see_?”

“You don’t love me,” Jaejoong responded. “Who could love me? Who could want me, want my— _deal with_ my wolf?” His wolf he kept hidden from everyone. His wolf that while a part of him, wasn’t really, not yet. Not like he knew they were supposed to be. 

In a moment, he was pressed back into the wall, Yunho’s hands holding Jaejoong’s shoulders firmly, his mouth set. “Who are you to decide what I love? What I want? What the pack wants? If you had let us in, you would know—“ Yunho swallowed. “You would know how the pack felt about you. About things like this. About…”

 _About men mating_ , Jaejoong filled in the blank and let out a shaky breath. How would Yunho say it? How would he throw Jaejoong out? What would he do? Where would he go?

“You’re a stupid idiot, Kim Jaejoong. Your wolf wants me?”

“Yes.” An automatic response to a command. Wolf growled in desire.

“ _You_ want me?”

Jaejoong had to look away. “ _Yes_.”

A hand traced the line of Jaejoong’s jaw, coming around the back of his neck and cupping it. He felt teeth close gently around tip of his nose and in a moment of confusion (because shouldn’t Yunho be angry? Why such an affectionate admonishment?) opened his eyes. As if to cement in Jaejoong’s head the idea that Yunho was disciplining him, he bit down on Jaejoong’s nose again, this time a bit harder, and kept his gaze, even as he pulled away. 

“Mate, Jaejoong. Your wolf says mate, you say mate…why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“You,” Jaejoong licked his lips, “Telling people how I feel has never helped me any. No one’s ever wanted me. My parents gave me up, my adoptive parents threw me out after I was changed, my friends don’t talk to me anymore, why should you be any different? I couldn’t.” He hiccuped between sobs, “I _can’t_ be tossed aside anymore. I can’t be rejected. I can’t deal with anyone else telling me no. I couldn’t live with myself. I can’t.”

And he won’t. If no one wants him, then maybe he’ll just have to go for a swim, toss himself off a bridge and let his dense body sink to the floor and be food for the fish.

“The _hell_ you will,” Yunho growled, and cuffed the side of Jaejoong’s head roughly. “The hell you will just assume to know what people think and feel, Kim Jaejoong, I’m so mad right now I could—” He stopped and took a breath. “You are—unearthly. Handsome. _Beautiful_. Caring. Goddamn amazing cook. Fashionable. Talented. An amazing writer. Your singing isn’t half bad. You play the freaking piano. Jaejoong.” Yunho cradles Jaejoong’s face in his palms and Jaejoong can feel Yunho’s heart beat thundering through the pulse in his wrists. “There is nothing in you to hate. Jaejoong. I can’t reject you. I’m not _going_ to reject you.” He brushed at Jaejoong’s bangs, finally smiling, and he was like nothing Jaejoong’s seen before. Careful as he had been with Changmin, and just as gentle. Just as loving. Maybe even more so. And it hurt.

“Mate,” Yunho murmured, and he sounded awed, as if he couldn’t believe it. Maybe he didn’t.

“Don’t _play_ with me,” Jaejoong hissed.

“I’m not. Jaejoong, I’m not.”

Fingers intertwined with his and toes caught on the carpet as he was pulled closer. “You’re serious.” It was an act of bravery to ignore the tug of Yunho’s hand, an obvious silent order to follow. But if Yunho had accepted him—

“I’m serious,” Yunho said. He was smiling, though his words were careful. “We need to talk about this and we need to think about it. A lot. But I can feel Yoochun ready to get a gun, so we’d better explain first, and then—“ and then they’d see. “But I’m serious. We’ll talk, I promise. And I will not throw you out, regardless of how this ends up.”

Jaejoong swallowed. “A gun, huh?”

“Probably for me. He cares too much about you.”

Truth, though Jaejoong had clearly betrayed that trust and love, and the thought of Yoochun standing up for him despite that had Jaejoong sniffling again. Yoochun had always tried to be good to him. 

Yunho wiped at his cheeks, ten times more tender than he had been a few minutes before. “Okay. Let’s fend off the violence.”

Yoochun was waiting for them outside, a frown the size of China decorating his face. “Pack meeting,” Yunho said, before Yoochun could open his mouth, “Downstairs. Jaejoong is taking a shower and I expect everyone to be there once he’s done.”

“Do I need to bring a weapon?”

“You are weapon enough,” Yunho told him, “Make sure everyone’s here.”

Yoochun pulled out his cell phone to call pack members that didn’t live in the house, and Jaejoong allowed himself to be pushed gently into the bathroom. “You need to clean up. What can I get you?”

“Junsu,” Jaejoong said, thinking that the submissive would calm him incredibly.

“Junsu it is,” Yunho promised. “He’ll be out here when you’re done.” He squeezed Jaejoong’s hand. “I _am_ serious. We’ll talk after we open you up to the pack.”

“I don’t think—“

“Slowly,” Yunho assured him, “Slowly and person by person. It will be fine. I’ll hold everyone together. Okay?”

It wasn’t as if Jaejoong could refuse, and strangely, with Yunho’s palms against his cheeks again, he realized he didn’t want to. “Okay.”

“We are sorry that we hit you,” Yunho murmured.

Jaejoong had all but forgotten the burn of his cheek; it had already healed anyway. He shook his head, “We deserved it,” Jaejoong replied, “He should not have stood up to you and I should not have allowed it.” Any other Alpha would have killed him.

They stood there a moment. In a mirror gesture Yunho leaned in, initiating a kiss and for the life of him, Jaejoong couldn’t pull away. “Mate,” Yunho said, and meant it. Meant all the things that came along with it. “I’m serious.” How many times had he said it? Did that make it true? Real? Jaejoong didn’t know.

It wasn’t as easy as just agreeing to mate, not with Yunho as Alpha and not with everything Jaejoong had done. Both of them being male was also something that could cause some confusion and Jaejoong had never once heard Yunho say he even liked men—not that Jaejoong himself had broadcasted that. But he stood there and let Yunho kiss him, kissed back, even, and pretended that all they needed to do was say yes.

—

He opened up to Junsu first. Jaejoong was right in that the submissive didn’t take it well. His scream of terror brought the entire pack running, and Jaejoong was sure he heard several expensive things fall to the floor and crash. He hoped it wasn’t Boa’s favorite vase; she’d kill the person that did it.

“The hell is going on?” Yoochun asked. He had a baseball bat clutched in one hand and had the air not been so tense, Jaejoong would have laughed. What werewolf had need of a bat when his pinky finger was twenty times stronger than one?

Changmin reached Junsu first. Changmin’s tirade regarding the submissive finally made sense, especially since Junsu stopped screaming in pain the moment Changmin touched him, though the trembling continued.

“Oh,” Jaejoong said softly. “That’s unexpected.” Apparently, the pack would take to two men being together better than Jaejoong had anticipated.

“You hurt him,” Changmin hissed over the top of Junsu’s head, “Again. All you do is hurt him.”

“Jaejoong opened up to him,” Yunho said, “As he will all of you, once Junsu is ready to help me deal with it.” He regarded Changmin and Junsu, “And then we can talk about the two of you.”

Changmin huffed. “You have to talk about the two of you before we talk about the two of us,” he growled.

“You will watch who you speak to with that tone,” Yunho returned, “I am at my limit, Changmin. Be careful.”

Changmin averted his gaze, though Jaejoong could see him mumbling angrily to himself. Yoochun poked him with his bat, and when Changmin lashed out, cracking it in half, Jaejoong thought _Ah. Better the bat than Yoochun’s arm._

“ _Enough_ ,” Yunho growled. “Yoochun…”

Yoochun took the emotions well, and Jaejoong knew it was because he had Boa. They clung to one another for a moment, before they were breathing easy. Jaejoong nearly cried in relief.

“Ass,” Yoochun groused, knuckling the back of Jaejoong’s head affectionately, “What a thing to hold inside of you.”

“Well,” Jaejoong muttered, throwing a look at Junsu, who had finally calmed and was currently allowing Changmin to run fingers through his hair, “Apparently I wasn’t the only one.”

“Totally different,” Yoochun argued, “We’ve been able to feel their attraction for months, though we’ve been tactfully not speaking of it until they said something. If you hadn’t been so closed off, you would have known this.”

Jaejoong pouted, jumped when Yunho let his fingers trace Jaejoong’s cheekbone, and then blushed. 

Seohyun saved him from a response when she and Yoona helped the new wolf inside. Minho was still weak, but he opened up to Jaejoong easily, and he actually seemed to deal with it better than even Yoochun. “This is nothing,” he assured Jaejoong with a smile, and curled up in a chair, Seohyun tucking a blanket around him. Jaejoong felt his heart pang a bit.

“Don’t worry about him,” Yunho murmured into his ear, “He’ll be fine.” His nose brushed Jaejoong’s neck as he tilted his head, suddenly, listening. “Jinki’s here.”

Yunho got to his feet and when he had left the room, Jaejoong sent a glare to Junsu. He returned it with a weak smile. “We don’t know what we’re doing,” Junsu said, tugging on Changmin’s elbow, “Tell him.”

“We don’t know if we’re mates,” Changmin said. “I just like him. That’s enough for now. And you’re not in a position to be mad.”

“But I told Junsu before everyone else,” Jaejoong pointed out.

“And I decided knowing about us wouldn’t really help you.”

Another pout, and this one stayed until Yunho came back into the room with the rest of the pack and sat back down next to him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. This time, Jaejoong wasn’t afraid to let Yunho know how much he _liked_ that, and he could feel Yunho’s happiness roll off of him in waves as he understood why Jaejoong had reacted so strongly to his touch in the car. Jaejoong was flabbergasted that it had only been a few days earlier.

“It’s an emotional fucking roller coaster in here. The hell.”

Jinki used to be Alpha in the area before Yunho showed up, Yoochun, Jaejoong, and Junsu in tow. Jinki only had a few wolves himself, and had decided giving up his role as Alpha to Yunho and joining his pack was better than fighting over territory and one of them dying. He had said later he could tell Yunho was more dominant than him anyway, so it was only fair. 

“Kibum,” Jinki said, sighing, “Come on. Not tonight.”

Kibum had been Jinki’s second before entering Yunho’s pack. The sudden change in power had never sat well with him, but he wasn’t stupid enough to start something about it. As it was, his dominance was just below Jaejoong’s.

Jinki made straight for their stray first. “You must be Minho.” 

Minho lowered his gaze appropriately. He wasn’t part of their pack yet, so it made playing power games a little difficult. But as far as they ranked, after Jinki came Yoochun and after him either Jaejoong or Changmin, whichever won their monthly contest, then Kibum, Jonghyun, and lastly Junsu, the lone male submissive. And then the girls. Minho had accepted Jaejoong and Changmin’s dominance both, so the next test was Kibum.

Minho stared Kibum down until he looked away. 

“Well,” Boa commented, “All sorts of things are happening tonight.”

Kibum scowled.

Of course, if Jaejoong mated with Yunho it would make him more dominant than Yoochun, at least that’s what he thought. Females always took ranks from their mated males, even if it dropped them in dominance, but Jaejoong didn’t really know how that worked with male mates. Yunho would certainly remain Alpha, and Jaejoong would be an Alpha’s mate. But he didn’t know about Changmin and Junsu, if they were indeed mates. They might just keep their ranks as is, or perhaps they’d agree to let Junsu take on Changmin’s rank in name. Jaejoong can’t imagine Changmin dropping to a submissive; he was far too willful for that.

Jinki let out a sigh before turning to Jaejoong, a bright smile on his face. Someone had informed him Jaejoong was going to open up to the pack but clearly Jinki didn’t know anything beyond that.

Jaejoong decided to use a different approach, and called on his wolf so he wouldn’t look away from Jinki’s eyes. “Yunho is our mate.” It took everything in his willpower to not turn around and kiss Yunho up against a wall when he felt his Alpha’s hand rest possessively on his shoulder.

Jinki appraised him. “I see,” he finally said, “Well. That explains a lot.”

“Sit down,” Yunho said, “Junsu, if you’re feeling better…”

Jaejoong could tell he was. Even pressed up close to Changmin, he had already begun to soak up the emotions in the room and calm everyone’s nerves.

The door opened and slammed shut, and a second later Jonghyun came to a sudden halt in the living room, coat half on, bag on one shoulder, looking utterly disheveled. Kibum rolled his eyes.

“Sorry,” Jonghyun said, “Work wouldn’t let me leave.”

“If _Jinki_ got here,” Kibum muttered. Jinki was an EMT and kept odder hours than Jonghyun, a record store clerk.

“Enough. Sit,” Jinki pointed to an empty chair. It was an order, a powerful one, and everyone that had been standing, fell into sitting positions on the floor. “Sorry,” Jinki mumbled, “Sorry, that was just supposed to be for Jonghyun.”

Jonghyun was cross legged and looking pissed. Something was off between them and Jaejoong wondered what it was. He looked at Yunho, but his Alpha shook his head. _Not now_. Later then, Jaejoong would ask. It was probably something stupid and dominance related. 

They went through the pack carefully, some dealing with Jaejoong’s emotions well, others not as well. But afterwards, Jaejoong felt as if years had been lifted from his shoulders and only Yunho’s steady hands on him kept Jaejoong from bursting into tears. He was so _stupid_.

“Can I go now?” Kibum asked, “I want to sleep.”

“I think everyone should stay,” Jinki said.

“I have to—“ Kibum started.

“You’re staying,” Yunho said softly. It was not a kind tone of voice; it was the sort of voice he used just before tearing someone’s throat out and couldn’t be bothered sparing energy to raise the sound of his words.

Something had definitely happened, and even open to the pack, Jaejoong couldn’t figure out what it was. He looked at Junsu, but the submissive seemed just as confused as he was. That was never good; usually Junsu knew everything about everyone because everyone came to him with their problems, wanting to be soothed and cuddled. If Junsu didn’t even know…

Kibum looked murderous as Jaejoong slid his gaze back to him, but his lips were pressed firmly together. Maybe Jaejoong wasn’t the crazy one after all.

“Everyone get some sleep,” Yunho said. He tugged Jaejoong to his feet. “Please see Jinki if you have any problems.”

Meaning he was going to be busy. Busy with Jaejoong.

 _Busy doing what_? Wolf asked Jaejoong slyly, but Jaejoong ignored him.

Mating was fast. He knew that, and Yunho knew that. Mating was serious, real, and more binding then marriages. Werewolves didn’t have to think about it, they just knew. They met, they mated, and it was for life.

And werewolves lived for a very, very long time.

They walked up the stairs slowly, Yunho latched onto Jaejoong’s hand, and he led them into his bedroom, shutting the door behind them and sitting them down on the bed. He had his serious face on, and Jaejoong swallowed.

“Let’s talk.”


	3. Three

Wolf was a second entity, a consciousness inside of Jaejoong that came out when Jaejoong let his guard down or was able to break through the prison in his soul. Wolf was protective, possessive, and anything that made him want, or or anything that demanded his protection, drove him to the point of insanity. But thankfully, Jaejoong had very good control and so even though Wolf wanted to over power Jaejoong and pin Yunho to the bed, reason won out.

They didn’t say anything for awhile. Jaejoong was enraptured with the way Yunho stroked his hand, his thumb moving wrist to palm, his nail catching on the knobs of Jaejoong’s knuckles. Yunho had beautiful hands.

“I can’t,” Yunho struggled for his words, “I cannot stop thinking of all the times I’ve hurt you. With my words and my…actions. I am so sorry. So sorry for making you do things you didn’t want to do and pushing you away. For making you think I don’t want you, for making you think that pack doesn’t want you.”

“Those weren’t your fault,” Jaejoong told him, bunching up the comforter as he slid closer.

“Those are not things you are supposed to think. Not as my wolf.” Yunho raised a hand to Jaejoong’s face. “Not as my mate. We promise to never hurt you again,” he said, eyes flecked with gold and brimming with tears. His fingers traced Jaejoong’s cheek.

“You can’t promise that,” Jaejoong murmured.

“We can,” Yunho insisted.

“You can promise not to hit me,” Jaejoong corrected, “But you can’t promise not to hurt me.”

Yunho—or his wolf, Jaejoong saw him so infrequently he wasn’t sure whom he was dealing with at the moment—considered him, and then nodded. “We will not hit you and we will try our hardest not to hurt you.”

Jaejoong thought he could live with that. Coming from an Alpha, it meant everything. He reached out a hand and traced the scar underneath Yunho’s eye. “I don’t want to hurt you either,” he admitted.

“That was a gumiho.” A scar given to him years ago, before he had a pack and was a lone wolf. Jaejoong only vaguely knew what had happened, and was tempted to ask, but this was not the time.

“I know,” he said. “But I have given you emotional scars.”

“That I have forgiven you for,” Yunho murmured. The gold faded away, his wolf put to sleep, and he leaned in, resting his head against Jaejoong’s. His hand hadn’t moved from Jaejoong’s cheek. “You will stay here tonight,” he said.

It wasn’t an order, but neither was it a question. Just a statement, and one Jaejoong knew he wouldn’t protest. “I will,” he nodded.

He was content to be held. In fact he was lulled to sleep, his head on Yunho’s shoulder, his rhythm of breathing playing against Yunho’s heart, and only woke when Yunho moved him beneath blankets, tucking the edges around him securely. “Be back,” the Alpha murmured, and Jaejoong mumbled his assent. Someone had probably had a bad dream or maybe started a fight. One of the two usually happened nightly, and there was no better time for him to get used to it than right now.

He woke again when Yunho came back, smelling clean and fresh, and Jaejoong’s brain registered that he must have just gone to take a shower. How thoughtful of him. Yunho pet his hair a moment before crawling in beside him, letting Jaejoong press in close.

He had nearly fallen asleep again when he heard Yunho murmur, “I couldn’t ask for a better mate. Or dream of one. I hope you know that.”

Jaejoong was too tired to think of a response.

— 

For a moment when he woke, Jaejoong panicked, unable to place the warm body spooned tightly next to his. In another moment, after Yunho sighed against his neck, Jaejoong remembered and he relaxed.

But Jaejoong found he didn’t much mind. In fact, he was pretty sure waking up warmed and wrapped in someone else’s arms—Yunho’s arms—was something he could easily get used to having. His wolf hadn’t been this happy in months and that only the potential prospect of having Yunho as mate, spoke volumes about their future.

The meeting last night had clearly taken a toll on Yunho’s energy, and Jaejoong knew that getting bombarded with all of his emotional crap hadn’t been easy to handle either. So after awhile of Yunho not waking up, Jaejoong arranged him carefully against a pillow, tucked the blanket around his body and crept outside.

It was early enough still for most everyone to be sleeping (it was Sunday, after all,) and he went straight to the kitchen to start making breakfast. Mostly they didn’t indulge in the rich American breakfasts saturated with fat and sugar, but for special occasions, Jaejoong would make pancakes and sausages and all sorts of sickly things for the pack to eat.

Junsu was up and about, mug in front of him and Jaejoong’s book in his hand. He was nearly at the end and didn’t look up until Jaejoong started fishing for pans.

“Are you going to make breakfast?”

“Mm. Since most everyone’s still sleeping.”

“Since Yunho’s sleeping,” Junsu corrected. With his back turned, Jaejoong heard the book set down carefully on the tabletop and a chair scrape across the floor.

“You caught me. Though it was mostly because I couldn’t lay in his arms anymore and not do anything to him.”

“Scandalous.”

He was hugged from behind, briefly, before he heard Junsu walking out of the room, “I’m happy for you.”

_We haven’t decided anything yet_ , Jaejoong thought. His wolf pointed out carefully that had Yunho not been interested in mating, he wouldn’t have insisted Jaejoong stay in his room. A fair point.

“You still have to tell me about you and Changmin.”

“Nothing to tell,” Junsu’s voice said from the hallway and Jaejoong pulled a face.

— 

At noon, Jaejoong decided he needed to start work, putting on his headphones and sitting down at his computer to write. He had a character to flesh out and he thought he finally figured out a way to do it that didn’t scream MIDDLE SCHOOL to his editor. 

He heard his door open a few times but ignored the people who tried to talk to him. He did not care that Jonghyun had sprayed Kibum with the hose or that Yunho still wasn’t up so could he go wake him, please? If Yunho needed to sleep than he needed to sleep. Jaejoong was going to let him be.

It was nearly dinner when Yunho finally padded into Jaejoong’s study. He pressed his nose into Jaejoong’s neck, one hand tugging off Jaejoong’s earphones, the other resting on Jaejoong’s fingers in order to cease his typing. 

“You’re not going to sleep, now that you’ve been in bed all day.” 

“I could sleep another three days, easily.”

“Then why are you up?”

“To come get you to sleep with me.”

Turning his head to get a good look at Yunho was not a good idea. It aligned their noses, their eyes, and Yunho apparently thought it meant Jaejoong agreed, because he leaned in slightly and kissed Jaejoong on the mouth.

Jaejoong nearly forgot he had a deadline to meet. “Yunho—“

The chair snapped underneath him as Yunho moved forward and they tumbled onto the floor. Yunho landed on his back, Jaejoong letting out a small squeak of surprise as he sprawled on top of Yunho before his lips were claimed again. The back of Jaejoong’s head was cupped and his stomach flipped when Yunho slid his tongue into Jaejoong’s mouth. He might have moaned.

“Write—“ Jaejoong gasped, when Yunho’s teeth pulled at his earlobe. Not that he really _wanted_ to work.

“You can write later.” Yunho’s breath was hot against his skin and Jaejoong squirmed as he was pushed off of Yunho’s chest. His back hit some part of the ruined chair but he barely heeded it, far too aware of Yunho’s fingers underneath the fabric of his shirt.

“Already behind,” Jaejoong tried again, pushing at Yunho’s shoulder blades, “People are here. Just. Yunho, wait.”

But Yunho was clearly not interested in waiting any longer. Or his wolf wasn’t. Both of them clearly intended to make Jaejoong _theirs_. So it was time for a calculated blow.

“I’m hurting, _stop_.”

Yunho couldn’t have moved faster if he had tried. Gold bled out of his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m laying on pieces of a chair,” Jaejoong muttered. “You couldn’t have jumped me on a couch? Or in a bed?”

“We can go to a bed!” Yunho looked hopeful.

“We have to talk. But not now because I have a few more chapters to finish.”

His Alpha took on a pout. An actual pout. Jaejoong tried very hard not to be swayed by it. “So I need to sleep by myself?”

“When I’m ready for bed in,” Jaejoong glanced at the clock, “Quite a few hours, I’ll come sleep with you. But sleep only. Besides. You have to be hungry.”

He could tell Yunho was. A human could have heard the rumbling in his stomach a mile away; it was like a thunder storm to Jaejoong’s wolf senses. “Does that mean you’ll cook?”

“I cooked this morning but you slept through it. Changmin refused to leave you leftovers.”

The pout deepened.

“But I guess I can make dinner.” Jaejoong patted Yunho’s cheek. “Now help me up.”

A demure Yunho was something Jaejoong could not get over. The gentle way he lifted Jaejoong to his feet, brushed him off, straightened his clothes; it was breathtaking. “I’ll get you a new chair.”

“One that’s ergonomic.”

“With lots of levers,” Yunho promised. “And steel reinforcement, not that it would actually help. I’ll go fetch a broom.”

Jaejoong gathered the bigger pieces of the chair in his arms and lugged them out to the garage, tossing them into their bin of kindle for fires. He had liked that chair a lot, it was a pity.

Yunho was sweeping up splinters when Jaejoong walked back inside. “Let’s barbecue.” It was nice enough outside, and it had been awhile since the pack had all been in the same place at the same time.

“Okay. I’ll go to the store.” Samgyupsal was not something they kept on hand, because it wasn’t as hardy due to all the fat. Steak, raw or otherwise, tended to be their meat of choice. 

Yunho dumped the contents of his dustbin into a nearby trashcan. He set the broom aside and wrapped an arm around Jaejoong’s waist, tilted his chin up with a finger. “Send Changmin.” 

Jaejoong was sorely tempted to say yes. A few days ago, he wouldn’t have been able to say not. But today was different. “I’ll send Changmin,” Jaejoong agreed, “But you have to tell him. And I have to get everything ready.”

The pout almost came back. Jaejoong watched as the corners of Yunho’s mouth twitched before he decided that Jaejoong was right. “My wolf is not pleased that you can order us around, now.”

“I can’t do that,” Jaejoong shook his head. “You’re only choosing to listen to me. I can’t make you do anything, Yunho.”

“In that case—“

“Changmin,” Jaejoong impressed, smiling. It was fun to be able to joke around like this. Yunho’s returning grin told him the Alpha thought the same. And that was a comforting thought, to be sure. One worth a kiss. 

Or maybe two.

—

Dinner was more fun than Jaejoong had had in years.

He forgot, for a few hours, that they were a vicious pack of werewolves. Someone had convinced Junsu to drink a little (Yoochun was the main suspect in Jaejoong’s mind,) and an hour into it, he was tipsy, hanging all over Changmin like he was God made man—Changmin didn’t mind at all. Seohyun had packaged Minho in a blanket, like rice in kimbap, and he sat in a lawn chair and let her feed him. Jaejoong would have to be blind to not see the hero worship in his eyes, though it was a little sad. Seohyun had a doctor at the hospital she was infatuated with and Jaejoong rather expected them to get married. Minho had about a snowflake’s chance in hell with her, especially as he was her patient.

“So serious,” Yunho murmured into his ear, and Jaejoong opened his mouth for the meat wrap Yunho offered him. 

“I love barbecue. So little cooking.”

The grill sizzled as Changmin dropped more meat onto it. Jaejoong licked his lips, swallowing the food in his mouth and then opening it for more. It was particularly spicy, and he let Yunho drape an arm around his shoulders to show his appreciation. “See? I know you, even though you were closed off.”

“The grocer knows I like my foods spicy, Yunho, as does the ahjumma down the street who has a kimbap cart. And I only see her a couple times a year. This proves nothing.”

“I’m not trying to get an easy lay, here. I want to mate.”

Ironic, Jaejoong mused, that for so long he had wanted, and now that Yunho wanted, Jaejoong couldn’t decide what to do. Perhaps it was because he had desired Yunho as a mate for such an expansive period of time, his mind was having trouble comprehending that he was wanted back.

“I’ve wanted to mate longer than you,” Jaejoong retorted, making a wrap of his own and pressing it against Yunho’s lips until he took it. “We can talk later.”

“You’re infuriating. If you want it, why aren’t we in a bed?”

“ _Later_ ,” Jaejoong impressed. Yunho sighed. “Go talk to Jinki for awhile. He looks depressed.”

“I want to sit with you.”

“Go talk to Jinki. I’ll grill the meat for awhile so no one will argue over it.” Changmin had already snapped at Kibum twice for trying to take meat before it was his turn. 

Yunho kissed his cheek before getting up, the touch sending Jaejoong into a furious blush, especially since most everyone was watching them out of the corners of their eyes. Jaejoong really wanted to punch them. Could they not give a little privacy?

He got up, nudging at Changmin shoulders. “Give me the tongs. You’re going to starve everyone if you keep handing out one piece for every handful you get.”

“My meat,” Changmin growled.

“ _My_ meat,” Jaejoong corrected, “Go gorge on kimchi, glutton. You can have more once everyone else has had some.”

Yoochun was laughing at them, feeding Boa wraps, seeing as he was one of the few wolves Changmin couldn’t refuse, and he winked. “Isn’t it great that you can order him around?”

“No,” Changmin said. “It is _not_ great.”

“You were happy for me,” Jaejoong pointed out, beckoning to the girls and giving them generous portions.

“I was, yes. Now I’m annoyed.”

Jaejoong laughed. 

“It’s good to see you so happy,” Junsu said. Jaejoong nearly dropped the tongs, surprised at Junsu’s sudden appearance. He accepted the meat wrap Junsu offered, ignoring the jealousy he smelt that was rolling off Yunho in waves.

“I like it,” Jaejoong drawled around the food, and shot a grin at Yunho. He probably wasn’t listening to what Jinki was saying at all.

“We like it too.” Junsu fed him another piece and then walked away. 

Belatedly, Jaejoong realized he’d been had. The meat on his grill was gone and currently being placed in front of Changmin who had a gleam in his eye. “Cruel,” Jaejoong pouted, reaching for more meat to cook.

_Love_ , Junsu mouthed back, when Changmin wasn’t looking.

Jaejoong found he couldn’t be mad.

— 

So caught in Yunho and mating and pack business, Jaejoong had temporarily forgotten about the problems that came with Minho. Namely, that he knew of another wolf named Taemin he thought Ara had.

“He changed me,” Minho told Yunho, “He was around a lot but I’m so foggy I don’t know if that was before Ara got me or afterwards.”

“I called the Marrok,” Yunho admitted, “He said he doesn’t know of any werewolf named Taemin, which means associated with Ara or not, we need to find him. So think about it for awhile, and anything you can remember would be helpful.”

“I’m not quite sure why I was a part of that,” Jaejoong said, as they walked out of the guest room and into Yunho’s. “I really don’t think I needed to be.”

“Did you not want to be?”

“It’s more that I need to be writing my book. I didn’t mind, but I do have work.”

Yunho’s kiss was meant as an apology. It was supposed to be quick, because he didn’t move forward much, or touch Jaejoong except with his mouth, but feeling brave, Jaejoong latched onto his arms when his Alpha tried to move away.

And as soon as it happened, Jaejoong knew he had given it: permission. Permission to touch Jaejoong, to wrap arms around him, to mate him, to _have_ him right there in the hallway. 

Someone rang their bell as Yunho pressed Jaejoong up against a wall.

He ignored it, quite happy to feel Yunho’s hand creeping across the small of his back and let his lips rest wherever they wanted on his face. The second time it wrung, Yunho’s hand was underneath his shirt brushing against the waistline of Jaejoong’s jeans, his tongue down Jaejoong’s throat.

The third time the chime sounded, Jaejoong realized no one else was going to bother answering it and he had to stop Yunho from pushing him down the hallway and into a bedroom. “I should get it.”

Yunho sighed, nodded, and his look was clear: _I’ll be waiting_. The thought drove Jaejoong into their entryway as fast as he could get there, but he stopped short, momentarily startled from thoughts of mating. 

Even through wood and glass, Jaejoong could smell that what stood on their porch was gumiho. A few days ago, he would have opened the door without calling on the pack. But now he found he had a strange sense of responsibility, and took a moment to yank insistently on Yunho until Jaejoong was sure his Alpha was leaping down the stairs five at a time. In fact, Jaejoong could hear him.

Satisfied, he opened the door cautiously. A woman stood outside, a sugary smile on her lips that were painted an odd color pink. Her hair was pulled back tight in a pony tail and it swished back and forth even though there was no wind. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here with a message for Yunho.”

Jaejoong narrowed his eyes. “You can give it to me.”

“You are not Yunho.”

There was a growl from behind Jaejoong and an arm wrapped around him, moving him off to the side. Jaejoong didn’t need to look at Yunho’s face to know his eyes were anything but dark. It was clear that Yunho’s wolf was in charge and had only one question. 

“She didn’t hurt me,” Jaejoong murmured, hand on Yunho’s elbow, and the Alpha’s body relaxed. 

“You are Yunho,” the gumiho nodded satisfactorily. “Ara would like to know how the wolf is doing and when she can have him back.”

Jaejoong couldn’t keep the surprise off his face.

“Ara gave him up,” Yunho said, voice rough and scratchy, “She has no business asking after his health, never mind asking for him back. He is a wolf. He is mine. You can tell her to back down.”

“She let you borrow him,” the gumiho corrected, “To heal his wounds.”

“That is not what she said. If she thinks she’s going to get him back, she’s sorely mistaken. Leave my property before I chase you off it.”

The tension was back, and even if Jaejoong were to suddenly turn and kiss Yunho on the mouth, it would not be enough to distract him from wanting to rip the gumiho apart.

“She isn’t going to like this.”

“I do not care.” Yunho slammed the door shut. His fingers dug into Jaejoong’s wrist and tugged him out of the entryway. 

Changmin had changed. Jaejoong took a moment to appreciate him. Wolves were large, larger than any dog Jaejoong’d ever seen, and Changmin was particularly lean with dark brown fur that Jaejoong knew was soft and thick, a stripe of silver on his head that no one could ever resist petting. “Watch her,” Yunho ordered, “If she’s not off my land in five minutes, you can make a gumiho pie.”

Changmin showed his teeth and Jaejoong imagined it a grin. Changmin had always loved hunting.

“Come with me,” Yunho tugged on Jaejoong’s arm and they walked (he was pulled, really,) up the stairs and into Yunho’s room.

Jaejoong waited as Yunho went to the door and locked it. “She didn’t hurt you,” he said, as if trying to convince himself of that.

“That’s what I said.”

“I thought. It’s all I could think about.” He had collapsed against the door sliding down it, resting his head against his knees. It was a rare moment of weakness and Jaejoong knew it was a show of trust.

He sat down beside him, tentatively sliding a hand back into Yunho’s. “I’m fine,” Jaejoong said. “The knowledge that you’d rip someone to pieces for me is very reassuring.”

“Not even pieces,” Yunho impressed, “I’d strip them right down to their goddamn atoms.”

“I’m honored.”

Yunho glanced at him. “I don’t want to talk.” His hand tightened against Jaejoong’s. “I don’t. I care about you, my wolf accepts you, I already want to kill everyone that looks at you funny, and—I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to have to talk about how we feel. I just want to be mated.”

They had been so close earlier. He had all but given his permission so he understood why Yunho was frustrated. But with his head clear and Yunho’s hand not threatening to dip into his pants, he thought it was good they had been interrupted. He had momentarily forgotten there were things they still hadn’t worked out.

“Let me ask you one question.”

Yunho nodded.

“The other night,” Jaejoong started, “When you said—you said you couldn’t have dreamed of a better mate. Did you mean that?”

“I would not lie about that.”

“But I hurt you.”

“And I’ve forgiven you. It is the past.” 

Jaejoong swallowed. “You can forgive so easily?”

“I must,” Yunho told him. “I must forgive or I’d end up killing a lot of people.”

Images of broken coffee cups entered Jaejoong’s mind, plates, lamps, chairs he’d thrown into solid objects in fits of frustration. All the times he’d screamed himself hoarse with want or broken his skin punching mirrors. “I have wanted you for a very long time.”

“I know.”

Jaejoong had proven that, not minutes before. “This isn’t about me not wanting you. I don’t want to talk either.” Even though they were now talking, if he were to get technical about it. “I’m serious about this and I need—I have to know that you are. Not just by you saying but. Do you know what I mean?” Jaejoong’s not really sure what he means.

“I’m not trying to dupe you,” Yunho whispered. He got an arm around Jaejoong and their foreheads were pressed together tightly, Jaejoong’s feet jammed underneath Yunho’s thigh. “I’m not joking. You’ve opened up to me and now that I can see you—really, honestly see you—for who you are, everything that I am is screaming mate. Jaejoong, I have never in my life wanted anything like I want you. I am going to go crazy wondering when I can _have you_.” 

“I thought you liked girls,” Jaejoong said.

“I do,” Yunho admitted, his head coming back to rest on the door jam, “Well, did. I like girls and I like guys, too. I don’t broadcast it. But the pack knew. You didn’t because…“

Because he had closed himself off to them.

“Not that I’m trying to blame you.”

“I was stupid,” Jaejoong whispered. He let his head fall onto Yunho’s bicep, pleased when Yunho’s hand came to rub at it, sweeping easily through his hair and digging into the kinks in his neck.

“We’ve all forgiven you.” 

Jaejoong just had to forgive himself.

“Jaejoong. I want you. Desperately.”

“You already do have me. I just need to know that you’re going to keep me.”

“And how can I prove that to you?”

“You are,” Jaejoong said, “You are proving it little by little.” And he didn’t think it would take much longer. He didn’t think he could _wait_ any longer.

— 

When they had calmed (courtesy of a nap,) Yunho went straight to Minho. “Normally there’s a ceremony and you have to memorize my rule book, but I don’t think we have time for that. You need to be part of this pack. Officially.”

“I was wondering when you were going to ask me,” Minho admitted.

It was very anticlimactic. Yunho cut a piece of skin off his arm, and by the time Minho had opened his mouth to receive it, the wound had healed over perfectly. Jaejoong felt the pack bonds shift slightly, and quite suddenly he could feel Minho among them. Yunho even forwent his little rite of passage speech—something like “flesh of my flesh” if Jaejoong remembered correctly. He’d been weirded out when he had joined Yunho’s pack as well, but there wasn’t any other way to link someone to an Alpha. Blood drinking had been tried, but that just far too vampiric (never mind that it didn’t work anyway,) and sex was for mating, so for the time being, this way, strange as it was, worked.

“That…was easy.” Minho’s face told Jaejoong he was actually thinking _gross_.

“You can memorize my code book once you’re better. The pack should help you heal faster. And we’ll have a ceremony.”

During the full moon, which was soon. At least, they’d do it then so long as the problem with the gumihos was solved. 

“Thank you.”

Jaejoong tucked his blanket back around him and they stayed with him until he fell asleep. 

“Now what do we do?” The stairs creaked a bit as they headed down to the kitchen. Yunho took hold of Jaejoong’s hand. “I mean. We just wait to see what she does?” He didn’t like the idea of that.

“We’re more powerful than her. She won’t start anything without seriously thinking it through.”

Which may not be a good thing. But they were more fortified too, now that Jaejoong was fully integrated into the pack. If they were to mate, it might make Yunho stronger for all Jaejoong knew. There was no definite answer for that; it was different for every mated pair. He needed answers, though, and he needed them soon. “I’m going to get some work done,” Jaejoong said, “I have to make a few phone calls.” 

“Okay.”

If Yunho picked up that Jaejoong was hiding something, he didn’t say, but either way, Jaejoong leaned in to kiss his Alpha’s cheek and left him in the bedroom, scampering down the stairs and into his office. He locked the door behind him securely and turned on music so as to make it difficult for anyone to overhear his conversation. One could never be too careful in a house of super sensitive werewolves.

He had a phone number in his desk, written on a piece of paper that Yunho had given him years ago when he had joined the pack. Jaejoong pulled it out now and spent ten minutes staring at it before summoning enough courage to dial. 

It only rang once.

“Hello?”

Jaejoong blinked. In the space of one word, without him saying who he was or where he was or what is problem was, he automatically felt better. “Hi,” he breathed uncertainly. He hoped whomever was on the other line they didn’t think he was calling to report dead bodies. “This is Jaejoong,” he said a bit late, “Uh, one of Yunho’s wolves.”

There was silence for a moment, and Jaejoong started to panic a bit because this is the Marrok he’s calling, the goddamn _leader_ of the Alphas who probably has very important things to do, and this really isn’t an emergency and he shouldn’t have bothered at all.

“It’s alright,” The voice soothed, “You can call me whenever you feel like it. That’s why I have a phone.”

Jaejoong took a deep breath. _He can’t read your mind_. At least Jaejoong didn’t think so.

“Are you,” he stumbled, “Is this Eric?”

“Yes. What can I help you with?”

Another breath calmed him further and he said tentatively, “I wanted to…talk to Hyesung. Please,” he added, hoping it didn’t sound like an order. In his mind, because Eric was Marrok and Yunho was Alpha, Jaejoong would best be served talking to Hyesung. Theoretically. He’s not sure that logic actually made sense, but he’d find out soon enough.

“I see,” Eric said, and he sounded thoughtful. “Is this by any chance the wolf that only just recently opened up to the pack?”

Jaejoong was famous. How grand. “That would be me.” He hoped admitting that wasn’t sealing a fate of his untimely death. 

“Ah. Hyesungie is outside. Hold on a moment and I’ll get him. Don’t hang up.”

Maybe Eric really could read minds. Jaejoong had indeed been contemplating ending the call, but the last sentence was a clear order and Jaejoong could feel its power even over the phone. He couldn’t even consider moving a finger to itch his nose.

He was put on hold, a tell tale beep alerting him, and he imagined Eric telling his mate about the conversation. He wondered what Hyesung had been doing outside and if it was more or less important than talking to a scared werewolf. Probably more, he concluded. Hyesung was most likely pissed off at him for butting into his day without so much as a by your leave, and Eric was probably upset at Jaejoong for irritating his mate and _good lord_ Jaejoong shouldn’t have called.

A beep was cut off, and Hyesung’s soft voice cut into Jaejoong’s rambles. It wasn’t lacking warmth, but there was an edge to it that said _screw with me and you’re dead_. “Jaejoong?”

“I interrupted you.” Jaejoong said, feeling apologetic. He seriously shouldn’t have bothered. What was wrong with him? He never shared his problems with other people.

“That’s alright. Is something the matter?”

It only took a moment before the story poured out of him: from when he first saw Yunho and realized he was _mate_ , Jaejoong’s fear of rejection, of hurting Yunho and the pack, his insecurity at having a male mate, to the fact that he loved Yunho, that he cared for him, and if he had to let him go, Jaejoong might die. He was crying by the end of it, and could feel the pack (Yunho, mostly,) wanting to burst in on him but respectfully maintaining their distance. Bless their naive hearts. “I just. I need someone to tell me that it’s going to be okay. I need to hear that I’ll be taken seriously. I need to hear that I will not be rejected. From someone other than Yunho. I’m afraid that I want him so badly it’s skewing everything for me and I can’t see that he isn’t as serious as I am.”

There was silence for awhile before Hyesung said, edge gone in his voice, “Jaejoong, I don’t think I’m the one to tell you that. Your pack has to say it. Yunho needs to say that to you.”

“But you’re mated to Eric.”

Another pause. “But I don’t want him. Not like you want Yunho. Yes, people think we’re lying. Yes, we have to grit our teeth every time we explain it. But the ones that try and challenge us on it are dead.”

Because the Marrok is not as kind and understanding as Yunho. He cannot afford to be.

“I can tell you some things,” Hyesung continued. “Mated is mated, no matter how it’s done or who it’s with, and the bond you form is going to be defined by the two of you. Not by your pack, not by society, not by anyone but you and him, because in it, Jaejoong and Yunho are the only things that matter. Sex doesn’t always create the bond. It is usual, but occasionally there are other factors that cause bonds to form irregardless of it. Eric and I are living proof of that. Do you understand what I’m saying? You set your own boundaries, Jaejoong, your own rules. Between the two of you.”

Jaejoong swallowed. “I understand.”

“If you need time to get away while you figure this out, then you’re welcome here.”

“Thank you.” 

There was a quiet murmuring in the background, something soft enough that even Jaejoong’s werewolf ears couldn’t discern.

“Eric wants to know if you found that wolf yet.”

“Not yet. But we will.”

“Call if you need help.”

“We will.” Jaejoong took a deep breath, wiping the tears from his cheeks and feeling immensely better. “I’m sorry I bothered you.”

“We’re here to be bothered. And for a male wanting to mate with another male, there’s no one better than us for you to call with problems. For what it’s worth,” Hyesung told him, “I’ve never regretted our decision to bond, even though the both of us, as I’m sure you’ve heard, are oil and water. And I know Yunho. He takes his commitments seriously.” Another soft rumble sounded from the background that rang of threats. “If he ends up hurting you, we will personally come down and rip him to pieces.”

Jaejoong laughed, not because he didn’t think it possible, but because he was relieved. When he grew up, he wanted to be just like Hyesung. “Thank you,” Jaejoong said again, and meant it.

“Catch that wolf,” Hyesung told him, “And I meant what I said: if you need to come stay with our pack you can.”

“I’ll keep you informed,” Jaejoong murmured. But he already knew what he was going to do. Hyesung was right, of course. Yunho honored his commitments and didn’t invest time or emotion into things he didn’t intend to see through. Yunho had been proving himself all along and Jaejoong just needed to trust him. 

He set his phone down on the desk, and almost immediately the lock on the door turned and Yunho slid into the room, looking half concerned half mad. Mostly adorable.

“Did they tell you what you needed to hear?” he asked.

“Yes,” Jaejoong smiled. “I want to be a cool werewolf like Hyesung when I’m older.”

The irritated part of Yunho’s face disappeared when he laughed, swooping in and planting a sloppy kiss on Jaejoong’s cheek. “I’m glad they were helpful. Sometimes they can be unintentionally scary.”

“We’re all scary,” Jaejoong said.

Yunho rested against the edge of the desk, taking Jaejoong’s hand in his. “What did they say?”

“Boundaries are important, and we set them, not the pack.”

“Okay,” Yunho nodded.

“I can stay with them if I need to think.”

Yunho did not look happy about that, but he nodded again.

“They’re going to kill you if you hurt me.”

“I expected that,” Yunho shrugged. “They’ll kill me if I do anything remotely stupid, even if it’s not related to you. Though if I do hurt you I won’t stop them. I’ll have deserved it, I’m sure.”

“Eric said to catch that stray wolf already.”

“Don’t change the subject,” Yunho admonished, reaching out to tweak Jaejoong’s nose, but he was already thinking about it. He looked rather resigned.

“They said they’ll help if we need it.”

“We may,” Yunho sighed, “But we won’t know for sure until we do a little snooping around. Maybe I’ll call Eric and talk to him anyway.” He tugged at Jaejoong’s hand, pulling him up.

Jaejoong allowed the hug, finding he was happy to just be held. Yunho’s shoulder was incredibly comfortable.

“Are you going to go stay with them?” Yunho asked.

“No, I’m not.”

“So what does that mean? More talking?”

“We’ve talked enough. I just haven’t been listening. Hyesung—he said you keep your commitments. And you do. I just need to trust you,” Jaejoong blew out a breath, tentatively meeting Yunho’s eyes. They were golden. 

“I’ll leave it up to you then,” Yunho said, “Okay? When the opportunity arises.”

Jaejoong expected weeks or months from then, time enough for them to share kisses, feel one another out, time for Jaejoong to think. But, as it happened, opportunity presented itself when they stepped out of the study together, fingers entwined.

Junsu was there, grinning, with a key he dangled in front of Jaejoong’s nose.

“What is this?”

Junsu looked as though he was trying very hard not to break out into a happy dance. “The pack chipped in and rented you both a cottage for the weekend. You’re welcome to it. Though if you refuse, you’ll make us all very unhappy.” 

A cottage. To themselves. To mate.

Probably. There couldn’t be any other reason for Junsu to send them away together, and Jaejoong rather expected that Junsu had been eavesdropping. Irritating werewolf.

Yunho had a smile on his face when he turned to Jaejoong. “Take it, if you want to go.” And damn him for making it Jaejoong’s decision. Damn him to hell and back. 

Junsu jingled the keys. Jaejoong snatched them away.

Goddamn pack and its bonds and everything. How dare they. How _dare_ they. 

Yunho was laughing.

_Goddamn_.


	4. Four

They left as quietly as they could. It wasn’t like they were going to wait—once the decision’s made, it’s made, and Jaejoong’s surprised Yunho didn’t jump him in the bedroom as he packed.

Jaejoong sent a text to Jinki, and between him, Junsu, and Yoochun, the whole pack would know within the hour. But they’d be gone by then and any teasing would be avoided. And Jaejoong’s all for that.

The car ride was silent, though not tense. Yunho kept their fingers entwined, his thumb skimming over the back of Jaejoong’s hand, and it did nothing to calm Jaejoong’s urge to demand Yunho pull the car over, the hell with propriety.

They barely get through the door. Having made his decision, Jaejoong didn’t want to wait and neither did Yunho. Jaejoong doesn’t even remember going from the doorway into the bedroom. Yunho propelled and Jaejoong let him.

“Mate,” Yunho murmured against his mouth. 

“Mate,” Jaejoong agreed, getting arms around Yunho’s neck. “Mine.”

It wasn’t the place or time to be slow or sensual. Another time. Not the first time. Their wolves would never settle for anything else, and they both expected that. Feeling their bond snap into place, Jaejoong was sure he could face anything in the world. Absolutely anything. It was so ridiculously uncomplicated and perfect, Jaejoong felt silly for freaking out.

He couldn’t help his tears after, Yunho crooning into his ear. That something Jaejoong had wanted for so long had finally happened, that Yunho was finally his, belonged to him, was mated to him, was unbelievable. He couldn’t remember a time he had been more happy.

Maybe it felt a little like love, but he wouldn’t say that yet. One step at a time. He could feel their bond, feel Yunho when he wanted, and for now it was enough. It might be enough for the rest of their lives. 

“You’re spicy,” Yunho told him, speaking of how Jaejoong felt through their newly forged bond, “Like a sort of addictive burn I have to come back too but yet warm, kind. Like a home cooked meal I’ll never get sick of eating. Perfect.”

“That is such an apropos analogy,” Jaejoong cooed, “Are you sure you aren’t making it up?”

Yunho pouted. “What do I feel like?”

Jaejoong smiled, tucking his head against Yunho’s chest. “Like Yunho. Not like an Alpha, not like a wolf, or leader, or anything. Just Yunho.” 

His Yunho. 

Jaejoong knew he’d never tire of this: the feel of Yunho’s skin against his, his lips against Jaejoong’s ear as he spoke to him, hands ghosting along his body underneath the blankets.

“I’m sorry,” Jaejoong murmured, “I’m sorry for keeping quiet for so long.”

“You weren’t ready,” Yunho said, “I’ve already forgiven you, stop apologizing.”

“I don’t think I can ever apologize enough.”

“You needn’t to me anymore. And I’ll wait until you can forgive yourself. Forever, if I have to. Jaejoong.” Yunho tilted his head up with a finger. “It is forgotten. I swear to you.”

His tears started again. 

—

Jaejoong dreamt that he was in a forest. He didn’t recognize it, yet the sounds and smells were familiar to him, comforting. Tied around his waist was length of red silk the end of it leading off into the wood. Hesitantly he stepped forward, and the silk remained taut, as though he hadn’t moved at all. So Jaejoong followed. He walked barefoot, the carpet of moss easy on his feet, the scent of pine clearing his sinuses. Designs began to sprout up on the silk, embroidered swirls and flowers that soon changed to people. Events. And Jaejoong recognized them.

His birth. His family. His friends. The change. 

He cried as he watched, the embroidery becoming crooked, the colors bleeding into one another as they began to depict Jaejoong burying himself so no one could see. Wolf was growling, boiling to the surface as Jaejoong finally stumbled, pitching forward blindly…but did not hit the ground. Arms lifted him up: Yunho. Handsome, concerned, Yunho to whom the other end of the red silk was tied. He pet Jaejoong’s hair, wiping away tears before untying the silk from around them both.

Jaejoong’s fingernails dug into Yunho’s skin. “What is this place?”

Yunho gave him a wry smile. “You created a prison for your wolf, Jaejoong. I created a sanctuary.”

A sanctuary. Wolf was very, very interested. “This is yours now, too, when you want it,” Yunho murmured, “This place can be Wolf’s.”

“Wolf likes that you call him that,” Jaejoong said.

Yunho smiled. “We’ve mated. He is ours as much as you are. Though Wolf is possibly the most unoriginal name ever.”

“Well that’s what he is,” Jaejoong pouted.

“Never said it wasn’t fitting,” Yunho smiled, “But what’s important right now is the silk. And that you forget it. You have the pack. You have _me_ now, that is your future.”

Jaejoong glanced down at the ruined piece of silk on the moss. Part of it laid across his foot and he flicked it away. Leaving it behind was not a difficult decision at all.

“Come on,” Yunho beckoned, “Let me show you how to build paradise.”

— 

A phone blared into Jaejoong’s dreams, startling him, and he reached to the side of the bed before remembering he wasn’t in the house, never mind his room. A moment later and he realized it wasn’t even his cell. Yunho groaned next to him. 

Well, they were mated now weren’t they? Jaejoong reached over and grabbed Yunho’s phone. “Hello?”

“Oh,” Yoochun’s voice said, “Jaejoong. Is Yunho there?”

“He’s sleeping,” Jaejoong lied. Yunho’s eyes were golden as they stared up at him and his hand had started to trace the inside of Jaejoong’s thigh.

“I see,” Yoochun said, in a tone that meant he knew exactly what was going on. “Maybe I’ll call Jinki.”

“Did anyone die?” Jaejoong asked. Yunho was mouthing his hipbone.

“Jonghyun broke a few chairs…”

“Call Jinki,” Jaejoong said, and shut the phone, tossing it onto the floor. 

Yunho laughed.

—

Wolf wanted a beach. He and Jaejoong were tearing down the prison, Jaejoong with bloodied hands and Wolf with his teeth.

A beach and sun.

“I’ll give you whatever you want,” Jaejoong promised, feeling Yunho flaring with warmth through their bond, “Whatever it is you desire…even if it makes no sense that a wolf would want a beach.”

— 

Yunho was on the phone when Jaejoong woke next. He heard Yoochun telling him that everything was fine, now, although Jonghyun was still in a very sour mood, but don’t worry. Come back whenever! Though soon would be nice.

Jaejoong couldn’t even stop his hand from sliding across Yunho’s stomach. He grinned as he heard Yunho’s breath hitch nearly imperceptibly. Yoochun, of course, heard it loud and clear. “We seem to always talk at bad times.”

Jaejoong bit down on Yunho’s collarbone, rubbed his hand firmly southward; revenge was indeed sweet. “Um.”

“Nevermind. Why don’t you just call me when you have a second?”

Yunho let out a garbled sound just as Jaejoong’s mouth wrapped around his cock, and the phone disappeared into the pillows. No doubt Yoochun would have enough sense to end the call and if they accidentally rolled onto it in the next few minutes (hours) than no one could bother them and it’d be a wonderful thing.

— 

“Junsu has a beach,” Yunho commented idly, “With palm trees.” 

— 

The phone screamed directly into Jaejoong’s eardrum and he nearly strangled himself trying to get out of its way. Goddamn sheets. Goddamn pack. He fell off the bed trying to find the receiver, swearing.

“I’m going to toss it out a window,” Yunho muttered.

“I’m going to toss _them_ out a window.” The sheet was still somehow knotted around Jaejoong’s waist and he struggled with it as Yunho answered.

“Gumihos are prowling around the edge of our land. Need you back asap. I know they aren’t going to listen to me if it comes down to it.”

_Woosh_. Strange, but Jaejoong found that after letting out a long breath he couldn’t take another.

“Yunho. We need you. And Jaejoong.”

Not an order. Yoochun was pleading. Alpha made the pack safe. Alpha made everything better. Without Alpha, without someone to hold them together, the pack was nothing. 

The sheet came undone in a second, Jaejoong’s fingers somehow miraculously finding the problem and they were both dressed in seconds, Yunho’s keys in hand.

“Ara’s do you think?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yunho.”

“Jaejoong, I don’t know. It could be. It could be strays. I have no idea. We’ll figure it out when we get back.”

The cottage was suddenly twice as far away as it had been on the ride there. Jaejoong had half a mind to change and run there. His wolf agreed.

“Should I change?”

“If you want to…”

Jaejoong didn’t, not really. His wolf wanted to come out, that was for certain, but fear was near to controlling him and he didn’t want his wolf to be in charge if it won out. Yunho must have felt it, because he risked crashing, taking Jaejoong’s hand in his own to squeeze tight while he steered with the other.

They were a minute from the house when Jaejoong’s phone buzzed with a message. Messages weren’t good. Messages during a crisis meant they didn’t have time to call. 

_Junsu._

“I think,” Jaejoong frowned, staring at the name on his screen, “Something is wrong with Junsu.” A quick appraisal of the pack bonds had Jaejoong very worried—Junsu was there, but he was clearly hurt. Junsu, their sweet, perfect little submissive wolf that—

They were screeching to a halt in the driveway, Jaejoong leaping out of the door before they had even stopped moving. The car was still running, crunching on the gravel behind him indicating that Yunho hadn’t bothered shutting it off. Hopefully he had put it in park.

Jaejoong nearly slipped in a puddle of blood in the entryway.

Yunho dashed past him and up the stairs. There wasn’t any screaming or crying, just silence as Jaejoong got to Junsu’s room. He was laid out on the bed, blood everywhere, and deathly still, though awake. Changmin was kneeling by the bed, out of Seohyun’s way as she worked, and Jaejoong’s stomach curled in desperation as he saw Changmin’s hand resting on the top of Junsu’s head. He was crying, a rare event for their stoic youngest, and quite suddenly, Jaejoong was very, very angry. He was going to hurt whomever did this to them.

“What happened?” Yunho asked.

Yoochun was the only one in the room that answered. “Goddamn Gumiho broke a window he was standing beside and pounced. Changmin killed her, but not before she got in some lucky blows.”

There was a bone sticking out of Junsu’s leg, blood oozing from the wound, but Seohyun was leaving it to Jinki and his EMT skills. She was more concerned about Junsu’s abdomen and rightly so. The gash made Jaejoong’s stomach turn and he had to look away, spinning on his feet and running into the bathroom. He threw up until he tasted bile.

He wasn’t aware of anyone wiping at his mouth until it was done. Yunho tossed the rag into the trash, holding Jaejoong carefully in one arm. “Drink,” he ordered, and pressed a glass to Jaejoong’s lips. He spit in the sink after rinsing, and then drank the rest of the water, soothing his raw throat. “Go lay down. I’ll come and get you if something happens. I promise.”

Yunho’s bed smelled like him. It was an obvious thing to realize, Jaejoong knew, but there was something possessive about it that made Wolf very happy. 

_Junsu will be fine_. He’s not sure if he thought it or his wolf or maybe if Yunho had said it, but either way it was reassuring and the warm blankets and the scent of his mate lulled him into sleep.

— 

Jaejoong wanted a forest. One that looked like Yunho’s, and he started building it in his soul, though there was more dirt on the floor than moss. Wolf still got his beach, water licking lazily at the sand on one edge and crashing against a rock cliff at the other.

“It’s beautiful,” Yunho murmured, from somewhere up above.

Jaejoong swallowed back his tears.

“Thank you.” 

—

Jaejoong woke to the sound of something crashing. He didn’t think twice, leaping out of bed and down the stairs so fast he nearly lost his balance. Why was he the only one running towards the screaming? Where in God’s name was Yunho? He remembered their bond a moment too late, and when he felt Yunho passed out upstairs somewhere, clearly exhausted, Jaejoong decided he could solve whatever this problem was by himself.

The glass table in the living room was smashed to bits, a gaping hole through the middle where Kibum had swung a baseball bat, presumably at Jonghyun’s head. Cuts were healing across both of their arms and faces where sharp edges had glazed across, and their feet were bleeding where they stood in piles of the broken furniture. Kibum had the bat raised and it was clear Jonghyun was ready to jump at him. If they managed to stay in human form for much longer it would be a miracle.

“Kibum,” Jaejoong said, “Put the bat down.”

Kibum’s eyes were golden when he whirled around. He looked for a second like he was about to raise the bat at Jaejoong.

“Yunho will kill you if you touch me,” Jaejoong said, “Put it down.”

For a moment, Kibum looked like he wasn’t going to give a damn about Yunho, but a second later, he tossed the bat and he shattered what was the left of the table. He turned back to Jonghyun, fire in his eyes.

“Neither of you move,” Jaejoong ordered, “Not until I explicitly say. Not if Yoochun says it, or Boa, or even Jinki. Do not move until I tell you.”

He’d never really asserted his new found dominance over the pack, but there wasn’t a better time than now. He went in search of someone to help him clean and found Changmin cradling a bowl of popcorn.

“Screaming match over with?”

“I need your help,” Jaejoong took the bowl away from him, “Get the vacuum, and make sure you have on slippers. Living room.”

“My popcorn,” Changmin frowned, reaching for it.

“Kibum and Jonghyun are trying to kill each other. Living room,” Jaejoong ordered. He didn’t wait to see what Changmin would do, setting the popcorn on the table and grabbing a first aid kit on the way back to the living room. He navigated the glass carefully and crouched at Kibum’s feet first.

“I may not have any idea what’s going on, but fighting does not help us right now.”

He dug a few shards of glass out from Kibum’s feet and calves, tossing them into a trashcan, courtesy of Changmin. Yoochun had followed him, a grim expression on his face. “Great,” he said sarcastically, “Just great. Kibum, move.”

Jaejoong paused, looking up at Kibum to see if he would listen to Yoochun, or if he would recognize that Jaejoong really was Yunho’s mate, and now higher up in dominance than Yoochun.

“I,” Kibum stuttered, “Jaejoong told me not to listen to you.”

No one was more surprised than Jaejoong when Yoochun laughed. “Good for Jaejoong. You should stay where you are, then, unless you want Yunho out to get you. I’ll get some slippers.”

“Junsu?” Jaejoong asked Changmin, picking up the bigger pieces of glass and careful to not cut his hand.

“He’s asleep, and mostly healed. He’s already changed once and that helped. Thankfully there wasn’t too much silver. He’ll be fine by tonight.”

“Although,” Yoochun said, coming back into the room, “If he pretends to not be fine so Changmin can pamper him more, I wouldn’t blame him.” He was grinning when Jaejoong sneaked a peek at him.

“Ok,” Jaejoong murmured, “Kibum you can move, now.”

Yoochun tossed Kibum slippers and he caught them deftly, dancing out of the way of the glass. “Go clean yourself up,” Yoochun ordered, and shoved Kibum’s shoulder. “We’ll sort this out with Yunho later.”

“We’re not sorting _shit_ ,” Kibum growled, but he was out of the room before Yoochun could respond.

Jaejoong could smell Jonghyun’s anger mixed with not just his own curiosity but Changmin’s as well. It wasn’t until they excused Jonghyun as well (with strict orders to not even look at Kibum, never mind breathe the same air,) that Changmin voiced his concern.

“What is going on with those two?”

Jaejoong looked at Yoochun, who shrugged. “Jinki won’t tell me and Yunho says he has more important things to deal with.”

“They’re going to end up killing one another.”

“I’m sure Yunho knows what he’s doing,” Changmin said. “Come on, Junsu’s been asking for you.”

Forced to put the matter aside, they leave the rest of the cleaning to Yoochun, who cheerily informs them he’s not upset because he intends to call back Kibum and Jonghyun (separately, of course,) and make them straighten out their own mess. Fair punishment until someone can figure out what’s actually going on between them.

Junsu’s sitting up when they reach his bedroom, a spectacular feat, seeing as he had just had his stomach ripped open, but as there was no silver in this wound, it had healed exceedingly fast.

He has Jaejoong’s book in his hands, again, and he put it down as they walked inside. Yunho was collapsed on a chair next to him, mouth open as he slept. “You really tired him out,” Junsu winked. It was the cheekiest Jaejoong had ever seen the submissive, and it made him so happy he couldn’t even be mad.

“Ew,” Changmin said from behind him, “I bring him all the way over here and this is what you want to talk about? To think I snuck you food.”

“You gave him food?” Yunho’s voice said, and Jaejoong had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Changmin was frozen, pinned on the spot by Yunho’s glare—which Jaejoong sort of wanted to coo over because he only had one eye open and looked a little like a puppy, with scraggly hair in need of a good wash and puffy cheeks Jaejoong desperately wanted to kiss him. “Please go downstairs and tell Seohyun that. And allow her to yell at you for it.”

“It was just a little ice cream,” Junsu pouted, “There wasn’t even pieces of chocolate to chew. It was like sucking ice cubes, I swear.”

“You’re still not fully healed,” Jaejoong said, crossing his arms, “Seohyun is a doctor, I’m sure she knows exactly what she’s talking about. When you’re better you can eat all the ice cream you want.”

“I do not appreciate how well the two of you work together when you’re on the same side,” Changmin said. He was already walking out of the door, though, unable to disobey Yunho’s order.

“That’s not very fair,” Junsu continued, “I was hungry.”

Yunho stood, dropping a kiss onto Jaejoong’s cheek as he passed. “I’m going to shower.”

Kindly, Junsu waited until Yunho had shut the door before he spoke, even though it didn’t matter. Yunho had the best hearing out of all them; so long as there wasn’t too much interference, he could hear a conversation taking place at the end of the driveway if he concentrated hard enough.

“So,” Junsu drawled. He looked incredibly pleased with himself. “I take thanks in payment of time with Changmin. And right now, food.”

“I’m not stupid enough to give you food,” Jaejoong said, “But if you want time with Changmin you can have as much as you want. You can even have the rest of our time at the cottage—though I’m pretty sure Seohyun told you to not move at all so I don’t think that’ll be of much use to you.”

Through their bond, though it was new, Jaejoong felt Yunho’s amusement. He could indeed hear their conversation. Strangely, it wasn’t as upsetting or intruding as Jaejoong had expected.

He sat down in the chair. “You don’t happen to know why Kibum nearly bashed Jonghyun’s face in, would you?”

Junsu gave him a look.

“Right. Sorry. You’ve been up here writhing in pain all day.” He didn’t want it to sound mean, so he reached out and squeezed Junsu’s knee—the only part of him Jaejoong was sure hadn’t been hurt.

“Not all day,” Junsu said, “Yunho sitting there helped a lot. And you help too. Changing helped, and Seohyun let me have some meat when I was in wolf form.” Which also helped, Jajeoong knew, with the initial healing. But the stomach was a tricky thing, and Seohyun was obviously just being careful in making sure it actually healed correctly before letting Junsu eat anything more.

“Good,” Jaejoong smiled. He sat forward in the chair a bit and took Junsu’s hand. “Will you tell me about you and Changmin?”

Junsu blushed. “I just like him.”

“How long?” Jaejoong asked.

“Going to warn me off him?”

“Never.”

“A couple months. I mean. I guess I always thought he was handsome. Nice, even if he teased me a lot. When I was in between shows what—two months ago? Yeah. He was home when he wasn’t in class, and I was here when I wasn’t in auditions and—well. We talked a lot. Watched movies. Made food. Then I got a part and I missed that. So I asked him out to dinner.”

“You asked him?”

Junsu gave Jaejoong a look. “Just because I’m submissive,” he started.

“That’s not what I meant. I just—expected Changmin to take the lead.”

“Changmin usually does,” Junsu’s smile was rather smug, “But not around me. Well, in front of everyone he does. But when it’s just the two of us,” the smile became wistful, “We’re equal. I like that.”

“Junsu,” Jaejoong started carefully, “There is no way Changmin’s wolf would allow you to be his _equal_ unless he called you mate.”

Wistfulness turned serious. “I know that,” Junsu whispered. His eyes closed, “But he isn’t ready for it.”

“I thought I wasn’t ready for it.”

“You hid it,” Junsu pointed out, “He knows what I think. He _told_ me he isn’t ready for a mate yet.”

“That’s stupid. I know better than anyone that waiting is stupid. What is he afraid of?”

There could be only one thing that could make Changmin unsure: where he would fall in the pack if he mated a submissive. “You tell him this,” Jaejoong said, “Hyesung said the bond isn’t defined by anyone but the two wolves involved. You decide what you make of it and what it means. So if he’s afraid of losing dominance by being with you, he doesn’t have to be.”

But Junsu shook his head. “He doesn’t care about that.”

_That_ made it obvious they really were mates. “Then what is it?”

Junsu looked resigned. “He’s afraid I’ll distract him.”

“Distract?” Jaejoong frowned.

“From school. He promised his parents he’d graduate top of his class. His family is everything to him, you know that.”

Jaejoong knew. The whole pack knew. Changmin was the only one of them who was young enough to have any family still alive—or was, until Minho. He cherished his parents because he knew they’d die long before he did. Family was precious.

“I can’t say no to that,” Junsu’s voice was still a whisper.

Jaejoong squeezed his hand. “No, I don’t suppose you can.”

“I’ll wait forever if that’s what I need to do.”

“You love him.”

“Yes,” Junsu said, “I do.”

Jaejoong would have climbed on the bed to cuddle with him, had he not been healing. 

“Jaejae,” Junsu murmured, and it was quiet. Quiet enough so that even a werewolf standing just outside the door wouldn’t hear him, “Do you love Yunho?”

Did he? All he could offer Junsu was a shrug. He didn’t know what he felt. They were mates, so he probably _should_ love him…but did he actually? “I don’t know,” Jaejoong replied, just as quietly. “I like him. He _is_ mate. Mine. But I don’t know if I love him yet. I want to. I will. I just don’t know when.”

Junsu patted the top of his hand. “You’re sort of perfect for each other.”

This time it was Jaejoong’s turn to blush, and he could feel through their bond that Yunho knew they were talking about him, though the details were a little fuzzy. “Thanks.”

The door creaked, and a sheepish looking Changmin walked inside, Seohyun following him and obviously ticked off.

“I can’t _believe_ ,” she started, pointing a finger at Junsu. Jaejoong took that as his cue to leave. 

Yunho wasn’t done with his shower—Jaejoong could hear the spray hitting tile wall—but he really wanted a hug. So he fetched the key to the bathroom from Yunho’s dresser and let himself inside, stripping clothes as he went. 

“You give the best hugs,” Jaejoong mumbled, mouth pressed against the skin of Yunho’s chest, hot water sluicing down around both of them.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just had a sudden urge to be held.”

“What’s _wrong_ , Jaejoong?”

A sigh. “Changmin and Junsu are mates.”

A pause. “Why are you upset about that?”

Jaejoong pulled back, face thoughtful. “I’m not. I’m happy for them. I was just—feeling apologetic.” Again. Sorry that he let his issues drag on forever. “You don’t have to pout or yell. I know what you’re going to say.”

That he’s forgiven. And Jaejoong was grateful for that.

“Alright,” Yunho murmured, as Jaejoong rested his head back down, “I won’t.”

They stood there for awhile, and Yunho just held him, remained quiet when a few tears leaked from the corner of Jaejoong’s eyes, and didn’t say anything until the water started to get a little cold. “You’re the best mate,” he whispered.

Jaejoong wanted to snort. But he was too tired. So he kissed Yunho’s skin. “We’ve been in here forever.”

Yunho toweled him off, and if they got a bit distracted with kissing, they weren’t going to tell. It wasn’t like anyone would listen. Jaejoong could hear Changmin and Junsu’s voices leaking out of the room still, so he bypassed it, heading downstairs. “You need to talk to Kibum and Jonghyun,” he said, and told his Alpha what had happened earlier with the baseball bat.

“I can’t deal with that right now,” Yunho shook his head, “I have to focus on Ara and the wolf.”

“Yunho—“

“Not now. Jaejoong, I can’t. It’s stupid and ridiculous. We need to focus on our actual enemy. I need to call Eric. I’ll talk to you after.”

Yunho kissed Jaejoong’s temple, but it did little to stem his irritation. Clearly Yunho thought Jaejoong’s frustration would wear off, but Jaejoong wasn’t at all sure. So he went in search of Jinki and demanded (nicely, Jaejoong thought,) to be told why Kibum and Jonghyun were ready to kill each other.

“It’s stupid,” Jinki said.

“Tell me anyway.”

He tried not to make it an order, but it was hard to interpret it as anything but. Especially since Jaejoong didn’t intend for Jinki to leave the room without spilling.

“Jonghyun—he doesn’t think Kibum is as strong as he says. He challenged him, _officially_ , but Yunho hasn’t given his consent to the match.”

Jaejoong blinked. “I thought those things had to go through the Marrok.”

“Yunho has to consent to call the Marrok who has to consent to let Yunho decide. Yunho thinks he has more important things to do.”

“What do you think?” Jaejoong asked. “Honestly.”

“I think he’s right. We need to be worrying about Ara. Let Yunho deal with it.”

Wolf was not pleased that Jinki had all but given them a direct order. And honestly, neither was Jaejoong. He frowned as he watched Jinki walk away. _Follow him,_ Wolf demanded, _We are stronger than he is, now, and he needs to learn respect._

“I’m not going to do that,” Jaejoong grumbled, “Even if you’re right. This is all very sudden and he’s used to giving out orders. As it happens, I’m rather well acquainted with calling the Marrok. I think I’ll just do that in place of Yunho.”

Wolf grinned and admitted that occasionally Jaejoong had his moments.

It was true that Ara was important. It was true that Jaejoong had only just begun to understand the importance of _pack_. But he thought that they would be much more capable of taking Ara down if they weren’t trying to take _each other_ down. Which was exactly what he told Eric, who gave a sort of silly laugh and said, “Yunho landed himself one hell of a mate,” before consenting and hanging up.

“You. Are. Weird,” Jaejoong pronounced over the dead line, and went to find his mate.

—

“No,” Yunho said.

“We can’t fight Ara with the challenge as it stands.”

“Who even told you?” Yunho frowned. “Jinki? Or was it Kibum?”

“If I tell you that, you’re just going to go intimidate him. Allow the fight, Yunho. They almost killed each other earlier.”

“Eric will never consent.”

“I already called him,” Jaejoong said, trying very hard not to crow with pride, “And he laughed at me and said yes.”

Yunho gaped at him.

“If you don’t tell them yes, I will,” Jaejoong threatened.

“You would not.”

“I will.” If he was lying Yunho would now not only be able to smell it, but know through their bond. “We can’t take down gumihos when we want to kill each other, Jung Yunho. And I’m not just saying that. Even if I was still closed off and I knew about this, I would be telling you the same goddamn thing.”

He could feel Yunho’s defeat.

“I landed myself with one hell of a mate.”

Jaejoong grinned, happy to let Yunho hold him for a bit, pet the back of his neck. “That’s exactly what Eric said.”

—

They confronted Kibum and Jonghyun together, standing them in the kitchen like a pair of misbehaving toddlers. Yunho did not bother hiding how unimpressed he was, and after three seconds of standing they were trembling under the force of his anger.

“Ten minutes from now I’ll allow the fight. Front lawn. But there will be no killing or serious injury allowed. And then that’ll be it. I don’t want to hear another peep about dominance out of either of you, is that clear?”

They nodded. 

“Go,” Yunho pointed.

Everyone had heard Yunho speaking to the two of them, and ten minutes later, the pack was sprawled out on the grass, ready to watch. Minho had managed to walk without help, for which Seohyun looked incredibly pleased. The only person that wasn’t there was Junsu.

Yunho gave a nod when they were ready, and Jonghyun lunged.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who would win. Jonghyun was strong, but there had never been a question that Kibum was more dominant. Both of them were good fighters, both of them had good instincts, but when it came down to it, Jonghyun was gentler than Kibum—in his words, his actions, and his manner. Jaejoong didn’t know why Jonghyun challenged the other wolf, and he probably never would (wolves tended to keep quiet about reasons, as Jaejoong could well testify,) but five minutes into the two of them exchanging blows had Jonghyun with a bloody nose and Kibum smirking.

Jonghyun got in a few lucky shots, made Kibum tumble once or twice, but it was clear that as soon as the fight started he’d realized his challenge had been stupid.

Ten minutes later he yielded, arm broken.

“Kibum wins,” Yunho said formally, “Pack rank will remain as it is. I meant what I said. I don’t want to hear another word about this and I expect both of you to step up and start preparing for our fight. Any funny business and the both of you can spend some time in the Marrok’s pack.” Uninvited, it was not a pleasant experience, Jaejoong was sure.

Jinki was frowning as he set Jonghyun arm, not looking a bit remorseful that he had caused him pain. “Lay there until it heals.”

The wolves filtered back into the house, Kibum the first to go. But he surprised Jaejoong by coming back out with a washcloth, sitting himself down by Jonghyun and washing the blood off of his face and neck. Jaejoong turned around, deciding to give them privacy to talk, and tucked himself under Yunho’s arm. He waited until they were in the kitchen before breaking the silence.

“Are you mad at me?” Jaejoong asked. He could feel that Yunho wasn’t, knew that Yunho was proud of him, but he’d be damned if he let the bond get rid of the communication he could now have. Nothing wold ever take the place of Yunho talking to him, whispering into Jaejoong’s ear for him alone.

Yunho settled them against a countertop. He was smiling. “This is why I said I couldn’t have dreamt of a better mate. You are going to keep us together, and I mean the two of us as well as the pack. You’re the piece to us that’s been missing, even though you’ve been here all along. You see things I can’t and know what everyone needs maybe before I do.”

He traced the line of Jaejoong’s jaw. “It’s only been a few days. What did I do without you?”

A kiss was the best answer Jaejoong could come up with; he himself couldn’t remember what he had done before Yunho, besides wallow in his own self pity. And hadn’t that been a mistake?

From his position on their beach, Wolf heartily agreed that it had.


	5. Five

“So I hear you have a beach full of palm trees.”

Junsu was walking, albeit carefully, by the next day. Seohyun had started to allow him food and Changmin was taking great pleasure in feeding him. Also in telling anyone who would listen that the gumihos were dead when he got his hands on them. “Teeth in them,” Junsu had corrected from where he was eating, and Changmin had nodded emphatically, hand on the small of Junsu’s back.

“I hear you had a prison, though I’m not surprised.”

“That’s gone,” Jaejoong sniffed.

“I’m glad,” Junsu said, around a mouthful of muffin. Jaejoong had started to bake again. “Though whatever you have now will never beat my palm trees.”

Jaejoong laughed. He liked his little oasis just fine and so did Wolf. Most importantly, so did Yunho. _Don’t be offended_ , he told Wolf, who wasn’t. 

_I’m happy you know how important mate is,_ Wolf replied.

“ _Mate_ is Yunho,” Jaejoong mumbled, “He names you, you should reciprocate.”

But Wolf had gone silent, and Jaejoong inwardly rolled his eyes as he stood from the table, cup of tea in hand. 

“Yoochun has sakura trees, did you know? He’s got dirt paths and grassy fields with sakura blossoms constantly falling onto them. And Mt. Fuji in the distance. He loves Japan too much, I think.”

“And what does Changmin have?” Jaejoong asked slyly, raising an eyebrow.

Junsu blushed. “Mountains,” he said, looking down at his feet, “Lots of mountains and deep blue lakes he can swim in. He had liked to swim before he was changed.” Doing so now was a death sentence, as the dense body of a werewolf would automatically sink and not allow for even a minute of floatation. 

Jaejoong opened his mouth to respond, but a sudden pulse of alarm through the pack bond made him drop his mug. Thankfully it didn’t break, but his tea flung out in all directions, staining the carpet. It would be a bitch to clean.

Yunho was next to him in a second, hands on Jaejoong’s waist until he was sure Jaejoong wasn’t being harmed. “Who is it?” Jaejoong asked. He could attempt to feel, but Yunho would be able to tell almost instantly.

He tilted his head. “Seohyun,” he said, “She’s hurt and there’s another wolf following her here.”

Another wolf. Jaejoong frowned, making for the front door and peeking outside. Yunho was giving orders behind him, but Jaejoong didn’t care. The yard was quiet, and even when Jaejoong listened acutely, he couldn’t hear anything. Seohyun had to still be a ways away. 

Jaejoong was patient, though, and strangely enough, so was Wolf. They were both confident that the pack would be able to combat whatever threat was heading their way and neither of them were needed for violence, at least not yet. Within their bond, Yunho echoed his agreement, feeling satisfied Jaejoong had come to that conclusion.

Changmin and Yoochun had both changed by the time Jaejoong heard Seohyun. She was in wolf form, and she bounded up the steps heaving, dirty blond fur slick with water and the patch of brown fur on her paws covered by mud. Yunho took a moment to pet her, cooing in her ear until she regained herself.

“The other wolf?” Their Alpha asked.

Seohyun jerked her head backwards. _Coming_. Jaejoong could hear it, tearing up their driveway ferociously and Yoochun, black fur glistening, leapt out the door, growling. They faced one another off for a few moments before the wolf stumbled. 

It was a female, Jaejoong realized. 

The wolf’s left side was matted in blood, and she staggered on the steps, legs weak. Her fur, or at least the parts of it that were unharmed, were a beautiful golden brown. Jaejoong felt his heart contract and he was the first one to catch her, even before Yunho.

“Changmin,” Yunho ordered, and jerked his head towards the lawn. Changmin was all too happy to patrol for gumihos, and he leapt over Jaejoong and the wolf with ease, snarling. Jaejoong pushed it out of his mind, cradling the wolf’s body close to him as she tried to shake him off.

“Easy,” Jaejoong murmured into her ear, “We’re here to help, relax.”

She didn’t, but it wasn’t difficult to lift her and carry her up to a guest room. They maybe should have brought her down into the basement until they could assess her completely. But Seohyun was exhausted, still collapsed on the floor as she tried to breathe, and they might as well make the wolf comfortable until Seohyun was ready to take a look at her.

“I’m going to force her change,” Yunho said. It would help to have her in human form and like that, she’d be less likely to be in charge than her wolf.

Jaejoong cradled her head as she started to writhe. He crooned at her, starting to sing when she was human enough to moan in pain, and didn’t stop until she was panting, bare skin glistening with sweat and blood. He was scared to death at how thin she was, bones sticking up into her skin with incredible ease. A hungry wolf was a dangerous wolf, and Jaejoong knew Yunho was contemplating killing her.

“Don’t be hasty,” Jaejoong murmured, “She probably knows something and we do need information.”

But it became apparent, after Yunho’s attempts to calm her, that getting information wasn’t going to be easy. When she finally opened her eyes, burning nearly white, and she stared Yunho down in a clear attempt at suicide, Jaejoong felt the blood drain from his face. There was no mistaking the look of a wolf gone insane.

“She’s crazy. We have a crazy wolf.” 

She growled at them.

There was a moment when both Yunho and Jaejoong shared terrified glances before Yunho was back into Alpha mode and Jaejoong was pulling out his phone to call Jinki. Blood got all over it, but Jaejoong didn’t care. 

“Jinki?”

“This is Kibum. Jinki’s sleeping.”

“I need you to wake him up. Now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Crazy wolf, probably from Ara. Yunho forced her change, but we need him to hold onto the pack so they’re not influenced. Go wake him up right now.” Even if this wolf wasn’t formally part of the pack, being crazy meant she would attack anything, and if she ended up going for a member of the pack, then the rest of them would stop at nothing to savage her. And they didn’t have time for Kibum to ask questions.

“What is Yunho doing?”

“He’s going to try and get her under control. I need to talk to Jinki, Kibum. I mean it.”

“Is he _insane_?” It was a bad choice of words, and Jaejoong growled through the phone, satisfied when he heard Kibum’s huff of submission. “Okay. Alright. I’ll go wake him up.”

There was a pause, the creak of a door, and Kibum saying, “Jinki, wake up. It’s Jaejoong.” It took a few minutes for Jinki to get ahold of the phone and a few moments more for him to understand the situation before he promised to get ahold of the pack so Yunho could focus on the wolf.

Kibum was still muttering angrily in the background even as Jinki hung up.

_We need to teach him_ , Wolf said, _He can’t treat us like that_. Jaejoong was Yunho’s mate and Kibum didn’t get to tell him what to do or question the Alpha while Jaejoong was around. Ever.

“Jaejae,” Yunho said, and his voice was strained, “Call Eric. I can keep her under control but it would really help if I had him. I can’t—do this forever.” The nickname distracted Jaejoong for a moment before he was fumbling for buttons on the phone again, his bloody fingers sliding over the buttons until he could hit them correctly.

Eric picked up after the first ring.

“We need you,” Jaejoong said, and he was suddenly on the verge of tears, “Please. Yunho can’t hold her forever.”

“Calm down,” Eric said slowly. Almost instantaneously, Jaejoong could breathe easier. “Tell me what happened.”

Jaejoong did, surprised at how he didn’t stumble over his words or seem to run out of breath. 

“Why hasn’t he killed her?” Eric asked. He did not sound impressed, and Jaejoong could hear someone swearing in the background. One of Eric’s pack, most likely.

“Because she might be able to tell us what Ara and the wolf have been up to.”

There was a moment of silence before Eric said softly, “I see. I’ll be there in a few hours.”

“Please hurry.”

“You have the ability to give him some of your strength, Jaejoong, get off the phone and do it.”

The line went dead and Jaejoong dropped the phone on the floor, spinning back around to Yunho. Sweat was dripping down his face, and Jaejoong wiped at it gently, kissing the skin as he went. “What do you need?” He murmured, sitting up against Yunho’s back and wrapping arms around him.

_Just you_ , Yunho said, and when Jaejoong realized Yunho hadn’t said it out loud, he nearly cried.

They could speak. Their bond was settling and they could _speak_

_I love you_ , he said fiercely across their bond. _Jung Yunho, I_ love you..

Jaejoong didn’t have to look to know that Yunho was crying. He squeezed tighter, filling their bond with his feelings and love, the force of it strengthening the both of them, and Jaejoong knew Yunho could now hold the wolf in check for eternity.

— 

By the time the Marrok arrived, both of Jaejoong’s leg had gone numb. He looked surprisingly unassuming, just jeans and a t-shirt, though despite both being fitted to his body perfectly, probably something purchased at a local mall. His smile was gentle, and without his werewolf nose, Jaejoong would have never guessed the man to be the most dangerous monster in Asia.

“You did well,” He murmured, squatting down next to Jaejoong, “Let him go, Jaejoong.”

Eric had to help him move, stretching Jaejoong out onto the floor for a second until the blood flowed back into his legs. Yunho was drenched in sweat, and Eric leaned in close to whisper something in his ear. And just like that, Yunho gasped, eyes shooting open and Jaejoong knew Eric had taken control of the wolf laying on the bed. 

“Take your mate out and get him some meat,” Eric told Jaejoong, “Hyesung is downstairs; he’ll help you.”

Jaejoong nodded, allowing Yunho lean against him. He desperately hoped not too many of the pack were home; it would not be good for them to see Yunho unable to hold himself upright. Not that they would challenge him with the Marrok here, but Jaejoong was now very protective of his mate and he was sure Wolf wouldn’t tolerate anyone that looked at Yunho funny.

Hyesung met them at the bottom of the stairs and just his smile made Jaejoong feel better. “I sent your pack away,” he said, as if he could read Jaejoong’s mind.

“Thank you.”

They sat Yunho at the table, and he collapsed onto his arms. 

“That’s one very crazy wolf you have upstairs. I’m impressed Yunho was able to control her for so long.”

“Can Eric save her?”

Hyseung gave him a sad smile. “No. She’s beyond saving.”

Jaejoong paused as he wiped drool from the corner of Yunho’s mouth. “What?”

“He might be able to calm her, but she can’t be saved. Not now. Even from down here I can tell that she’s been crazy for too long. There’s no coming back from that.”

“He’s going to kill her,” Jaejoong said softly, suddenly sick.

“Yes,” Hyesung cocked his head, “But it’s a mercy, Jaejoong. No one should live like that…it’s anything but life.”

“Should have,” Yunho mumbled, and the rest of the sentence was a jumble of syllables he didn’t have the energy to form into words. 

“You did what you could,” Hyesung told him, “Hopefully Eric will be able to get her to talk to him, even if it’s only a little bit. It was the right thing, calling us. Now where is your meat? You sit next to your mate and I’ll get it.”

Jaejoong directed him to their fleet of refrigerators and freezers in the garage, and sat down next to Yunho, wiping his forehead and keeping a hand on his thigh. “You’re such a kick ass Alpha,” he said.

Yunho let out a huff of air: it was supposed to be a laugh. _You’re a kick ass mate_ , he said through their bond, and Jaejoong couldn’t have stopped his grin even if he’d wanted.

“Thanks,” he murmured, and found a bit of Yunho’s face to kiss.

They stayed that way until Hyesung came back, and after the first bite of meat, Yunho’s color started returning, though he still kept his head down even when he was done, Jaejoong blotting his lips and using a baby wipe to wash his hands. He didn’t need the bond to know Yunho was grateful. Yunho’s hand in Jaejoong’s own, squeezing tight, was enough. 

When Eric came back down, he made straight for Hyesung, wrapping arms around him and breathing slowly. Hyesung ignored him for the most part, moving around the kitchen with Eric attached to his back, swatting his hand away when Eric tried to grab Hyesung’s. The dynamics made Jaejoong’s head spin even more than it already was and he had to look away.

Killing a wolf was hard, and Jaejoong fought down tears at the thought of one of their own gone, now, even if he had never known her. Warmth and consolation flooded his bond with Yunho, and Jaejoong rested his head on his mate’s shoulder, thankful for it and in awe that even depleted in strength, Yunho could find it in him to give Jaejoong courage.

_It had to be done_ , Yunho said.

_I know, it’s just sad._

Yunho squeezed his hand again. 

After a minute or two of silence, Eric came to sit across from them and his face was much more haggard then it had been an hour or so before. 

“Did you get answers?” Jaejoong asked, sensing Yunho wanted to ask but was still too tired to use his voice.

“I found out enough,” Eric said, “Mostly by sifting through her memories because she wasn’t capable of speech. As far as I can tell, there’s a wolf—probably this Taemin you speak of—that Ara has. I believe she’s—“ Eric’s face took on a sour expression and he was clearly trying to control his anger, “ _Forcing_ him to change people into werewolves, though for what purpose I have no idea.”

“For hearts,” Yunho said, with obvious effort, “Hearts and livers.”

“But she can just have regular human hearts?” Jaejoong frowned. Not that he approved the practice, but why make her life more difficult by trying to get _werewolf_ body parts?

“Regular humans don’t have supernatural abilities,” Eric said thoughtfully. “She could be trying to either absorb their power or…see if she can bring them into her skulk and control them.”

“Experimentation.”

“Possibly,” Eric nodded, “Either way. It’s unforgivable. And if you’re not going to take care of it,” he pointed Yunho, “Then you need to tell me now so that I can.”

“My responsibility,” Yunho said, though he didn’t raise his head, “But I won’t turn down help, if that’s what you’re offering.”

It was. Eric even had a plan, though it wasn’t one Jaejoong thought was going to work. Judging by Hyesung’s scowl, he wasn’t the only one.

“I don’t think talking to her is going to do much good.”

“The last thing she wants is a war with me involved,” Eric pointed out. “Maybe if it was just your pack she could have one, but with me, and therefore essentially all the Asian wolves at my disposal, it’s not something she’ll win. Especially since I have agreements with the more friendlier gumihos in Korea and are capable of getting them on our side as well.”

The ones on Jeju with the Inn. Jaejoong should have known Eric had a pact of some sort with them. 

They’re interrupted when they hear the door open, and Jinki walked inside, jaw set tight and sweat beading his forehead. His skin was an alarming shade of gray. “If you could take back control,” he rasped at Yunho, “That would be great. Because I’m at my limit.”

“I hope you didn’t drive here by yourself,” Jaejoong frowned.

“Kibum’s parking,” Jinki said, and collapsed next to Yunho expectantly.

“Yunho’s too weak,” Jaejoong said.

He thought the Marrok would have a solution, but it was Hyesung. He wasn’t without the power to help too, and he lifted Jinki back onto his feet. “I’ll help you. Yunho needs some more time to recover before the pack can feel how weakened he was.”

They’d only been gone a moment before Kibum walked into the room swinging keys on a finger. He acknowledged Eric and Yunho, but bypassed Jaejoong, and he tried to stem his irritation, but he must have let a little bit of it escape him, because Eric was suddenly watching Kibum intently from his seat. Well, when was there a better time for a confrontation than with the Marrok here?

“Kibum,” Jaejoong asked, thinking of a task the wolf would find irritable, “Could you find Junsu for me? It would really help Yunho.”

Kibum turned on him, “Find him yourself,” he snapped, “I have to get back to work.”

He was nearly out the door when Eric stopped him, speaking his name softly, but in a way that was an order. “Is that the way you speak to your Alpha’s mate?” he asked.

Kibum froze.

“Does he normally act like that?” Eric asked Jaejoong, in a much kinder tone of voice.

“No,” Jaejoong answered, “Only since…we mated.”

Yunho lifted his head from his arms, and Jaejoong could feel his anger. He was also a little upset Jaejoong hadn’t told him.

“Peace, wolf,” Eric said, pointing at Yunho, “I will handle this.”

Gold faded out of Yunho’s eyes and he collapsed back onto the table. Jaejoong had to fight to not do the same thing, the order bleeding though their bond a little.

“You have a problem with Jaejoong?” Eric asked.

“No,” Kibum said. Truth, Jaejoong knew. Kibum’s hands were shaking and his jaw twitching, his wolf clearly upset at being controlled.

“With his mating Yunho, then?”

Kibum looked like he was trying to swallow his tongue.

“The fact that they’re both male?” Eric pressed, “Answer.”

“Yes,” Kibum bit out.

Jaejoong felt sick. Yunho’s hand on his thigh was not doing anything to alleviate his pain like it was supposed to be doing.

Eric stood up, draping an arm around Kibum’s shoulder and pulling him close. “Let’s take a walk, you and I.”

Jaejoong suddenly felt a little bad for initiating all of that. But better to deal with it now than later, better to deal with it while Eric was here, than not, when Yunho would possibly break Kibum’s neck.

“You should have told me,” Yunho said, face still smushed up into his arm.

“I thought he was just being ornery,” Jaejoong admitted, “I didn’t realize he had a problem with the both of us like we are. I would have sat him down a lot earlier had I known.”

“I’d like to sit him down,” Yunho growled, but there was no real threat. 

Even so, Jaejoong poked his mate’s cheek to make a point. They couldn’t be fighting one another, not now. If that meant Eric took Kibum out of the fight, then so be it.

“Let’s nap,” Jaejoong suggested. “You need to do some rapid strength regaining before the rest of the pack get here. Jinki’s probably fainted by now.”

The bed seemed miles off, but as soon as Yunho relaxed onto it, his frown started to go away. Finally. Changing would have helped him, but there was no better way to scream _weak_ , and that wasn’t something Yunho needed to appear as at the moment. More because who knew when a gumiho would show up? Even with Eric here, they had to be careful.

Not that Yunho’s wolf was weak, Wolf reminded Jaejoong. It was actually the opposite—being in wolf form always aided the healing process and made it faster, but admitting that you need your wolf to heal (or in Yunho’s case recharge) was all but announcing frailty.

They didn’t sleep, however. Jaejoong propped himself up on pillows and let Yunho’s head curl onto his lap. He was happy to play with Yunho’s hair, tucking and then untucking it behind his ears, letting his fingers trace Yunho’s jawline. And Yunho was content to let him.

“Junsu said we’re perfect for each other.”

“Junsu’s all sorts of brilliant,” Yunho replied. Their bond was humming with satisfaction, the feeling rolling off both of them in waves, and Jaejoong couldn’t have stopped himself from bending down to kiss Yunho even if he’d wanted. Though he couldn’t think of anything that would make him want to do that.

“Should clean up,” Yunho murmured. He had pushed himself up a bit so Jaejoong didn’t have to bend in half to reach his lips.

“Do you have the energy to shower?”

“No,” Yunho shook his head, “But you could fill the bath up for me. Please,” he added.

Jaejoong did not want to get up, but he figured Yunho would probably allow bathtub kisses, and those were just as good. So he tucked Yunho around a pillow and went to fill up the bath that was more jacuzzi than tub. It could fit three people, easy.

He set out towels and soap, making himself a seat next to it, and then went to go help Yunho undress. The Alpha was stiff, though already much better than when he had been in the kitchen.

By the time they made it into the bathroom, the tub was full, and Jaejoong shut it off before helping Yunho into it. He sighed as the water settled around him, and Jaejoong smoothed his hair back, kissing his cheek.

“I want you to get in with me.”

“You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“We’ll relax,” Yunho insisted, but Jaejoong shook his head. If he got naked, he wouldn’t be able to control himself, not so newly mated, and Yunho _knew_ that. The sly bastard.

“Focus on getting your strength back. You’re nearly there, I can tell. Then we can _relax_. Okay?”

Yunho was pouting again, but knowing he was right made Jaejoong able to resist its lure. Mostly. He did kiss it.

“Promise me you’ll tell me in the future.”

Jaejoong pulled away, eyebrow raised.

“If something happens between you and the pack. Promise you’ll tell me so I can fix it, even if it’s small and stupid. We can’t have secrets.”

“I wasn’t trying to keep it secret.”

“I know that,” Yunho said, and rested a soapy hand on Jaejoong’s, “But I’m just as good as Eric at solving conflict. I’ve been doing that for a long time, and you didn’t have to wait for him for a confrontation. Even if I’m like this—I could have dealt with it.”

So Yunho had felt that errant thought. Jaejoong should have guessed—not that he minded. Yunho was right, as usual. “Okay. No secrets, intentional or otherwise.”

Yunho tugged Jaejoong’s head back down. “You sure you don’t want to get in?” He asked. His arm had settled around Jaejoong’s shoulders. He was smoldering his eyes this time, and Jaejoong realized that was a lot harder to say no to than the pout.

“Yeah, okay,” Jaejoong said, starting to pull off his clothes, “I’m coming in.”

—

Jaejoong’s fingers were pruning just as the water started to get cold. They actually hadn’t ended up doing much more than make out—Yunho was a lot stiffer than he had thought, once he had tried to move—and Jaejoong intended to hold it over his head forever. But he was happier, and that was really all that matter. Somewhere in the middle of kissing and washing Yunho’s hair, the Alpha had taken back control of the pack, and when they finally got out, Jinki was laying on the bed, waiting for them.

“Took you long enough,” he muttered. “Hyesung was helpful, but you owe me.”

“I’m sorry,” Yunho murmured, going to sit next to Jinki and running a hand down his back. “You were amazing, stepping in like that. Thank you.”

“The pack didn’t need to feel that crazy wolf.”

Jinki really had been marvelous, blocking the pack from feeling the insane she-wolf Yunho was dealing with and yet feeling it himself. Jinki was a model second. 

“Did you eat something?” Jaejoong asked, brushing back Jinki’s bangs.

“Hyesung gave me meat.”

“Did you eat something you really like?” Jaejoong clarified. “What do you want? I’ll make you anything.” Even after a couple decades, raw and bleeding meat was not as appetizing as a meal cooked with lots of love, regardless of the physical benefits.

“I just want to sleep,” Jinki said.

Jaejoong wanted to cuddle him, really. Yunho slid underneath the covers, letting Jinki rest his head in Yunho’s lap. The second would be recharged in no time, and Jaejoong patted Jinki’s head. 

“Rest then,” he said, and kissed Yunho’s cheek before walking out the door.

Yunho would help Jinki regain his strength, and that would in turn help Yunho to return to his normal self. As Alpha, the more he gave, the more he received. In a few minutes, Jaejoong could feel him fully charged through their bond already, and giving steady encouragement to Jinki. He’d be hungry once he was done.

Junsu was flipping through his latest script at the counter, humming under his breath. Jaejoong left him to it, happy to just listen as he started boiling water for tea. Junsu paused once and awhile, scribbling on his score and muttering to himself, before continuing. It was satisfying to just watch him, knowing he was healed and able to work, able to live.

“Where’s Changmin?” 

“Studying. He kicked me out because he couldn’t focus.”

“You’re singing,” Jaejoong pointed out, “You demand attention.”

Junsu blushed. “I’m barely humming.”

“There’s no difference,” Jaejoong continued. His kettle clicked off, and he reached for a mug. “Do you want some?”

“I guess.”

The script was pushed away and Jaejoong eyed it as he poured. “Have you memorized it yet?”

“Of course,” Junsu said, like it was a stupid question.

_Then why was he looking at it_? Wolf asked, and Jaejoong shushed him.

“When’s your first performance?”

“Two weeks,” Junsu said, smiling. “I already told Changmin he’s coming, want to accompany him?”

“Yes. If it’s anything like your last one, I’ll have to hold him down while the girls on stage grope you.”

Junsu’s particular husky laugh echoed in the house, and he was grinning. “Changmin secretly loves it, I bet.”

_I bet not_ , Wolf snorted. Jaejoong threatened him with a new prison if he didn’t shut up. 

Junsu leaned across the counter, suddenly serious. “I heard what happened with Kibum.”

Jaejoong sighed.

“He’s still talking with Eric,” Junsu said, “And I saw Hyesung go out to join them awhile ago. He’s getting quite the lecture.”

“Maybe I should go help.”

“I think you should stay away unless they call for you,” Junsu frowned, dunking his teabag into the steaming water. “You meddled enough.”

“You think I should have just let Yunho handle it?”

“I, no. Well. Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound snooty. Just, if Kibum’s mad at you, having you there isn’t going to help.”

Jaejoong supposed Junsu was right. “I’m going to cook,” he said. 

Junsu set down his mug. “I’ll help. Changmin will come out if there’s food.”

—

Changmin did come out, but it was for a whole ten minutes, in which he shoveled down dinner like a starved person and then disappeared. He left his plate and utensils on the table, and Junsu stared at them dejectedly for the rest of the meal, the little cloud of despair hanging over him growing darker by the minute.

“It’s just a few days,” Jaejoong told him, hoping it actually was, “It’s his last final of the year, it’ll be over soon.”

“I want to cuddle,” Junsu pouted. His dinner was completely forgotten.

“You can come cuddle with me,” Jaejoong promised, “We can watch a movie.”

“You can’t kiss me,” Junsu pointed out, pout turning into a frown.

“No, but I’m sure at some point tonight Changmin’s going to need a break. You can make out then.”

In middle of cleaning up the dishes (Jaejoong trying to cajole Yunho into helping him,) Kibum came back inside, Eric’s hand on his shoulder guiding him forward until he stood in front of Yunho and Jaejoong both.

Jaejoong wiped his hands on a towel.

“Where can we talk?” Eric asked.

“Jaejoong’s study,” Yunho said, and bumped Jaejoong’s hip. “I’ll finish up here.”

Eric didn’t bother turning on music or a fan to block out their conversation; he wanted the pack to hear this. Jaejoong made sure the mate bond was wide open, just in case he felt a sudden need to punch Kibum and Yunho could step in in time. _I’m pretty sure Eric will stop you before I can even get there_ , Yunho said into his mind, and he sounded extremely amused.

Jaejoong chose to ignore him.

“I,” Kibum started. He cleared his throat, eyes downcast. “I’m sorry. I’m not…okay…with. I’ve never really had to deal with that before. You know I’m religious,” he said, “And I just. This is really difficult for me. But I’m going to try. I’m going to try and compartmentalize it. You’re Alpha’s mate and I am part of this pack. I shouldn’t have treated you like I did and I’m sorry. I can’t promise I’ll be okay with—with the _mating_. I don’t know if I’ll be able to change my mind. But I will do my utmost to treat you like I did before—before I knew. But if it’s too hard, then I’m going to stay with Eric’s pack. Because. Because it’s not just you.”

Not just Yunho and Jaejoong being gay. There was Junsu and Changmin to consider as well, and Jaejoong rather thought this had all been building up in Kibum’s mind for awhile now…not that it was any sort of excuse. “I don’t accept giving up,” Jaejoong said. “I appreciate that you’re willing to try. But trying means you eventually want to succeed, and if you think you’re going to give up half way, then don’t even bother.”

Pride flooded his bond with Yunho. Letting go of a pack member wasn’t easy, but if Kibum was only ever going to have problems with authority, with his _Alpha_ , then it was better this way. Through the pack bonds, Jaejoong could feel that most everyone felt the same way, though Jinki and Jonghyun felt more sorrow than anyone at the thought of losing Kibum—they had been pack for a long time before Yunho.

And Kibum was not happy with the option either, even if he was saying it himself. Clearly, that had been Eric’s idea (or ultimatum) and Jaejoong felt his heart clench as he saw Kibum’s eyes start to water.

Jaejoong took a step forward and reached out, tilting up Kibum’s head. “Look at me.” The tears spilled out as Kibum shook, and Jaejoong wiped at them gently. “I’m not asking you to _be gay_ , Kibum. I am only asking that you respect what I want for myself. It’s not going to affect you, do you understand? What Yunho and I do is between the two of us, and it will stay that way. What I want is for you to acknowledge that we are mates, and treat us as such. Nothing more. If you can try to do that, then you can stay.”

Jaejoong could feel Yunho on the brink of tears. The dishes were being completely ignored, Jaejoong was sure of it. 

“Think about it,” he offered, “Alright? There’s some time yet before Eric leaves.”

“No,” Eric interjected, “He decides now. If he’s leaving the pack, it’s not good to draw it out. It will hurt you more, in the end.”

Kibum’s lower lip trembled.

“Kibum,” Jaejoong crooned, “I _want_ you to stay. Yunho wants you to stay. And we’re willing to help you. We’ll talk to you. We’ll even get you an apartment away from us, if that will help.”

“No,” Eric interrupted again, “I won’t allow that.”

“Oh my God, will you _go away_ ,” Jaejoong pointed to the door, “You’re not helping. Go somewhere else.”

Eric raised an eyebrow.

“Please,” Jaejoong added. He looked back at Kibum to make sure Eric understood it wasn’t a challenge.

But Jaejoong only felt amusement from the werewolf leader as he turned and walked out. _Just when I thought I had you figured out_ , Jaejoong thought with disbelief. Was Eric even dominate? Who the hell knew…

“Look, even if you left here and stayed with Eric, it’s possible he will allow other gay wolves into his pack. Just because you’re leaving here, doesn’t mean you’re getting away from it. Kibum, we want you. We love you.” Jaejoong cupped Kibum’s cheeks with is palms, “And better the devil you know. You’re _welcome_ here.”

Kibum took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Okay?” Jaejoong whispered.

He brushed away another tear.

“Okay,” Kibum agreed, voice cracking, “Okay. I’ll stay.”

“Promise me,” Jaejoong pressed.

“I promise,” Kibum swore, “I promise.” The tears had turned into sobbing and Jaejoong pulled him close, satisfied as he could both smell and feel Kibum’s remorse, his pain, and his guilt. Jaejoong sighed in relief, though it was lost in Kibum’s heaving, and Jaejoong squeezed him, rocked him, until he quieted.

“Apology accepted,” He said into Kibum’s hair, “So long as you come and have dinner. You must be hungry.”

“Starving,” Kibum half-gasped.

Jaejoong snagged tissues on his way out, hand guiding the small of Kibum’s back, and they were used all at once, tears and snot and spit wiped from Kibum’s face. 

Yunho was waiting for them in the kitchen, arms crossed and leaning against the counter. He looked incredibly sexy and Jaejoong had to clamp down on his feeling super fast or he would have ended up plastered all over his mate, pulling off his clothes.

_Felt that_ , Yunho told him, though his face remained stony as Kibum came to stand in front of him, head bowed.

_Good_ , Jaejoong said back smugly, meaning it as a promise of his own. There was plenty of time left before they slept, after all.

“I want you to realize,” Yunho told Kibum, giving no indication he’d heard Jaejoong’s thought, “That a lesser Alpha would have killed you for how you treated my mate.”

Kibum swallowed. “I know.”

“I will forgive you anything, Kibum. When I became Alpha I swore to myself and to all of you, that I will _forgive anything_ , that I will love every single one of you unconditionally, care for each of you, and in return, you need to forgive and respect me. And my mate. That is all I ask.”

“I remember,” Kibum said softly. Jaejoong remembered too, though he was pretty sure Yunho had made a clear distinction between forgiveness on its own and forgiveness with serious repercussion. Werewolves had rules as well, and violating those, forgiveness or not, usually meant death. Yunho couldn’t avoid that even if he wanted.

Yunho rested a hand on Kibum’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Don’t let it happen again.” 

“I won’t.”

Pride rolled off of Yunho in waves, and Jaejoong swallowed. The feeling of an Alpha pleased with a wolf in his pack was like no other, and the love and happiness exuding from him into the pack bonds nearly crumpled Jaejoong to his knees. Kibum did, Yunho catching him and holding him close, crooning as he started to cry again, and Jaejoong felt Kibum’s shame at his behavior so intently he had to temporarily close himself off to the pack to get ahold of his feelings. He knew he wasn’t the only one.

“You’re _mine_ ,” Yunho whispered fiercely. His, and everything that came along with that.

Jaejoong turned around, unable to keep his composure. He nearly walked into a wall as his eyes blurred with tears of his own and was only saved by Eric, who latched onto his wrist and pulled Jaejoong close.

“My mate is perfect,” Jaejoong sobbed onto the Marrok’s shoulder, so happy, so relieved that it had turned out alright.

“He is,” Eric whispered, “And so are you.”


	6. Six

Somehow, and Jaejoong was extremely impressed, Changmin had managed to completely block most of the events of the evening out. Jaejoong doesn’t think his former self could have even done that, and Wolf agreed.

But Jaejoong was also angry, especially when he found Junsu collapsed at Changmin’s door, exhausted from trying to get to him during the tumult of emotions. Yunho whispered into Jaejoong’s mind that he’d been screaming for Changmin to let him, and Jaejoong very nearly demanded Changmin come out right this minute, but Jaejoong knew better. This required delicate meddling. Junsu could have easily broken through the door, but he had made a promise to not distract Changmin, and while Jaejoong understood that, it didn’t mean Changmin got to be a dick.

“Come on,” Jaejoong murmured, helping Junsu up off the floor, “Come to bed with me.”

Junsu whined, but he didn’t offer any protest after that, allowing Jaejoong to help him under the covers of Yunho’s massive bed and cuddling up next to him.

The way he figured it, Changmin would get jealous and come find Junsu, or Yunho would. Either way, it would get Changmin to open the damn door and that’s what Jaejoong wanted.

“I’m not mad at him,” Junsu said.

“Well, I am.”

“We’re not mated yet, you shouldn’t be.”

“You needed him,” Jaejoong said, frowning, “And he ignored you. I’m mad.”

Junsu sighed, either realizing that he wasn’t going to win the argument or that he was too tired to try. “I guess he was sort of an asshole.”

“Not sort of. He was an asshole.”

Junsu sniffed, and as far as Jaejoong was concerned, his plan could kick in any time. 

But even as they talked, a half hour passing with Jaejoong keeping his arms tight around Junsu, his head pillowed on Jaejoong’s chest, no one burst in on them in jealousy.

Which meant it was time for a little bit of a low blow, though one Jaejoong’s sure he’ll be forgiven for…eventually. He closed his bond to Yunho a little, enough so that it would peak his interest and block what Jaejoong was doing, but not enough as to completely freak Yunho out.

He trailed his hand up and down Junsu’s back, pressing harder until he felt Junsu’s muscles give way and Junsu let out a happy moan. Jaejoong had always been good at massages, and although he was at a bit of a disadvantageous angle, Junsu clearly thought it felt good.

“This would be much nicer if Changmin were giving it to you, of course,” Jaejoong murmured into Junsu’s ear, “Those pretty hands all over you…”

It took a lot less time than Jaejoong suspected, but talking to Junsu about all of Changmin’s positive physical attributes (and there were a lot) had Junsu much more friendly than he had been a few minutes earlier. He even had a hand underneath Jaejoong’s shirt and was stroking his skin thoughtfully as he lamented his life.

“I want him,” he whispered, “Sometimes I want him so bad I can’t think straight.”

“Just because you have sex doesn’t mean you mate. You have to want to make the bond, Junsu.”

“But I do want it. Just not through manipulation,” Junsu pouted. “His _family_ , Jaejoong.”

Jaejoong opened his connection a bit more to Yunho, pleased to note his mate was a bit irritated with him, and let him feel the kiss he pressed to Junsu’s cheek. “Junsu-yah,” he said, voice dripping with affection, “It’s not manipulation.”

This _is manipulation,_ Jaejoong thought, finally feeling Yunho get up out of his seat and head purposefully towards their bedroom, intent on finding out exactly what Jaejoong was doing.

“But I want to talk to him about it.”

“So then talk! Junsu, tell him you want him. Tell him it’s driving you crazy. You said you’d wait for him, so if he says no, then you wait. But maybe he’ll say yes. At least he knows. You have to talk.” Jaejoong knew that now more than anyone. Better than anyone. 

He considered it his civic duty to the pack to make sure no one was ever as stupid as he had been ever again. Ever.

Jaejoong meant it platonically, but he can say he timed it perfectly, tilting Junsu’s head a bit to kiss him just as Yunho opened the door. By that time, Yunho had figured out exactly what Jaejoong was doing, and knew what the kiss meant, but even then, he didn’t need to act like it bothered him.

“Oh, hell no,” he said, as Jaejoong grinned at him over Junsu’s head, and the Alpha stormed away towards Changmin’s room.

“There,” Jaejoong said, “Now Yunho is going to make Changmin come get you.”

“But I promised him I’d wait.”

“And you still can. But it’s not fair if he doesn’t know it’s hurting you,” Jaejoong whispered, “Don’t become what I was, Junsu. Talk to him. Please.”

“ _Shim Changmin_ ,” Yunho’s voice said from the other end of the house, “Get your mate out of my bed.” 

There was silence for minute, and then Jaejoong heard Changmin say faintly, “He’s not my—“

“Now, Changmin. Right fucking now. If Jaejoong kisses him again, I’m holding you responsible.”

Jaejoong chuckled. 

“I’m not sure we should laugh about this,” Junsu said weakly.

“Yunho knows what I’m doing,” Jaejoong said, “Don’t worry. He’s mad, but he knows I kissed you because of Changmin, not because I want you.”

“If you’re sure…”

Jaejoong heard Changmin start down the hallway. “When he comes in here, you think of him as your mate. And when he orders you out of the bed, you tell your mate _no_.”

“But don’t we want him to take me out?” Junsu whispered.

“Only once he acknowledges you as mate back,” Jaejoong confided, careful to keep his voice low, “Only when he coaxes you away from me and you know he’s not going to ignore you.”

Junsu only had time to give Jaejoong a grateful smile before Changmin was looming over them, face hard. “Junsu, get out of the bed.”

“No,” Junsu pouted.

Changmin looked momentarily surprised, then he frowned, eyebrows creasing dangerously. “Get out of the bed. Now, Junsu, before Yunho kills you for touching his mate.”

“Jaejoong won’t let him,” Junsu said, and gave Jaejoong a very sexy look that, were Jaejoong not mated to Yunho, would have them kissing again. Changmin was growling; Junsu gave him a sultry smile. “Go back to studying. That’s what you want to do anyway.”

“Kim Junsu,” Changmin started. Jaejoong felt the wave of power hit him, though he ignored it. Had they not been potential mates, Junsu would have been scrambling out of the bed in his haste to obey Changmin’s unspoken order. But he didn’t move, able to withstand Changmin’s wishes easily and stare him down.

The force of the order faltered, and Jaejoong couldn’t help but feel very satisfied as he watched Changmin realize he couldn’t make Junsu do what he wanted, that Junsu was looking at him as _mate_ , or at least as a future one, and then the power vanished. Changmin knelt by the side of the bed, looking partially remorseful. 

“Please come back to my room with me?” He asked, head flopped adorably on his forearm. 

“You’re studying,” Junsu said, resting his cheek back on Jaejoong’s chest. “I’m fine here.”

Changmin swallowed, reached out to brush Junsu’s bangs. “I’m not fine with you here.”

“You were earlier,” Junsu returned waspishly, and okay. Jaejoong didn’t actually want Junsu to be mean about it, but he supposed Junsu had a right. 

“I’m sorry,” Changmin murmured, “I didn’t—I closed the pack off when it started to get bad because I didn’t want to be distracted and I didn’t think to check if you were okay. I thought Jaejoong would make sure or Yunho or—I’m sorry. That’s not an excuse. I should have checked. I should have opened myself back up to make sure you…my _mate_ was alright.”

“Yes,” Junsu said, “You should have.” 

“Please come back with me? I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Please, Junsu.”

“You have a test,” Junsu said slowly. It was the last time he was going to object and everyone knew it, even the wolves in the rest of the house that were eavesdropping. 

“I’m not going to study anymore.” 

Junsu bit his lip. “Promise?”

“I swear.” Changmin reached out and this time Junsu didn’t flinch away, letting Changmin help him our from underneath the covers and over Jaejoong, swinging onto his feet. 

His arm around Junsu, Changmin made it to the door before Yunho stepped in front of him, glowering. “Dongsaeng,” he said levelly, “Jaejoong found him collapsed against your door hoarse from screaming. Treat him well or you will never be his mate. Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes, sir.” 

Yunho stepped aside, his gaze lingering on them a moment before swinging around to Jaejoong. “And _you_.”

“I take thanks in the form of kisses,” Jaejoong told him sweetly.

“What do I have to thank you for? Tell me, please.”

Yunho’s arms were crossed and he leaned against the door jam much as he had leaned against the counter earlier in the evening. Jaejoong’s reaction was the same: _sexy_. Wolf rose to the surface a bit in Jaejoong’s anticipation.

“I got Changmin out of his room.”

“ _I_ did,” Yunho corrected, “And only because I could see that you wanted someone to kick Changmin’s ass, not piss me off by kissing Junsu. Though that happened, by the way.”

“Either way, my work.”

“You could have just _asked_ me to make Changmin leave his room, Jaejoong.”

Jaejoong was no actor, but he tried very hard to imitate the exact look Junsu had given Changmin (the sultry one, not the angry one,) a few moments before. “But your sexy when you’re angry.”

In the blink of an eye, Yunho had him pinned to the bed, the door slamming shut, and Jaejoong fought back a wave of satisfaction as Yunho put his mouth against Jaejoong’s ear.

“Say that again,” he dared, like he though Jaejoong was joking. Wolf scoffed.

“You’re sexy when you’re angry. Are you really going to make me wait? Because that entire plan was a mastermind and I deserve—“

Just before Jaejoong shut down his link to the pack, he heard Junsu say huffily, “You’d better ace this test, buddy, or we are going to have some serious problems.”

Jaejoong had a feeling the test was something entirely different than what Changmin had been studying moments before, but then Yunho finally got Jaejoong’s pants off and anything unrelated to Yunho and skin and _feelssogood_ was wiped from Jaejoong’s mind.

— 

“Just so we’re clear: I’m the only one who gets to kiss you.”

Yunho’s hands were trailing up and down Jaejoong’s sides, sometimes down his left arm to tangle briefly with his fingers before moving on. Jaejoong was resting half on him, half off, slowly realizing the time for a shower was drawing near; he could feel his sweat drying on him and he could only take that for so long.

“Is that what this was about? I thought you were asserting your macho Alpha-ness.”

“Kim Jaejoong,” Yunho growled.

Wolf was chuckling, happily sated and warming himself underneath the sun on their beach.

“Wolf is on your side,” Jaejoong pouted, “That is totally unfair.”

“Wolf is smart,” Yunho said, and he poked Jaejoong’s side until his mate sighed.

“Fine. Yes. Kissing is between you and me. Happy?”

“Only if you really mean it.”

Jaejoong did, and Yunho could feel it; that he was teasing told Jaejoong Yunho really wasn’t as mad as he was making out to be. But Jaejoong wiggled up a bit to kiss him anyway, relaxing happily as one of Yunho’s arms got around his neck and the other cupped his face. When he opened his eyes and realized Yunho was now half on top him, the possibility of a shower slowly slipped away.

“The Marrok is here,” Jaejoong reminded his mate, biting back a whine as his ear was nipped.

“I don’t really give a damn,” Yunho told him, and to be honest, neither did Jaejoong.

— 

Changmin and Junsu did not appear the next day at all. Yunho assured Jaejoong they were fine, and he had a glint in his eye when he said it, so Jaejoong could only shrug and assume everything was going as he had planned. When Junsu finally did emerge, there was a smile on his face Jaejoong had never seen before and a glow surrounding him Jaejoong knew could only mean one thing. Or so he thought.

“You mated?” he asked slyly.

To his surprise, Junsu shook his head. “We compromised. Once he’s done with this semester—“

“So in a couple days,” Jaejoong interjected, feeling upset because all his hard work was _wasted_.

“And after we take care of Ara,” Junsu added, “We mate. Apparently I can be,” he made quotes with his hands, “ _Unfairly persuasive_.” He looked thoroughly satisfied with himself.

“You shouldn’t wait until we deal with Ara, Junsu. Waiting is bad.”

“Waiting is inevitable. If we mate now, you won’t be able to count on us for the fight, because all I’m going to want is Changmin in my bed. The end.” 

The skin of Junsu’s neck was soft where Jaejoong’s petted it. “If you’re sure.”

“I am,” Junsu nodded, “Now, if you have any food, Changmin is starving and I have to feed him. Also, please remove your hand. I’m not allowed to touch you ever again.”

Jaejoong laughed, latching onto a little of Yunho’s power as Alpha to send Changmin a clear image of him stuck to Junsu’s side as they made up a tray of food. Yunho was even amused when he caught on (since they weren’t kissing, Jaejoong figured,) and by the time Changmin stalked downstairs, Jaejoong had a glow of his own, basking happily in the feelings Yunho was pulsing down their link. Jaejoong loved it when he pleased Yunho.

“I’ll get the food,” Changmin hissed, “Go play with your own mate.”

_Yes,_ Yunho said in Jaejoong’s mind, _Come play with me._

Jaejoong poked Changmin’s side, spying on them from around the corner as Changmin got all possessive on Junsu, kissing him up the counter, food forgotten as he whispered something in Junsu’s ear that was making him whine in submission. And it was sexy, goddamnit. 

_Waiting_ , Yunho sent to him. A mental image of Yunho climbing into the jacuzzi had Jaejoong tripping up the stairs in his haste.

— 

When Jaejoong walked downstairs to find Yoochun biting Boa’s neck, his hand up her shirt and unlatching her bra, he knew something must be in the air. “You’re in public,” he said, whacking Yoochun’s arm as he passed. “You have a room.”

“Your fault,” Boa moaned. Or that’s what it sounded like, anyway. It was into Yoochun’s mouth so her diction wasn’t exactly clear.

“Uh, I’m pretty sure I’ve been upstairs and have had nothing to do with—“

Jaejoong stopped suddenly, turning back around. Boa’s bra was on the floor and Yoochun was yanking her shirt up. Jaejoong yelped, managing to grab the hem before he could see anything, “Yoochun!” 

But Yoochun didn’t stop, and he had a hand down her pants before Jaejoong could blink. They weren’t going to move, they didn’t care, not that Jaejoong understood why, and he mentally flailed for Yunho. _HELP_. A moment later, Yunho was barreling down the stairs and without even touching them, Yoochun and Boa were forced apart, both of them shaking.

“The fuck do you think you’re doing? _In the kitchen_?”

“You don’t get to be mad,” Boa hissed, grabbing her bra as Yoochun refastened her pants for her. “Your. Damn. Fault.”

“ _How is this my fault?_.” Yunho’s eyes were golden. 

“You didn’t block the pack earlier when you oh so casually jumped each other in Yunho’s tub.”

“We did,” Jaejoong pointed a finger in Yoochun’s face, “Just because you can’t—“ Then he paused, glanced carefully at Yunho. Had they blocked the pack? Jaejoong had raced up the stairs very quickly and jumped into the tub even quicker, and he’s sort of sure they hadn’t been open to the pack…but then how did Boa know they’d gone at it in the jacuzzi? 

“Uh,” he said cleverly. 

Yunho was quite suddenly bright red.

Yoochun swore at them both, before latching onto Boa’s hand and taking the steps upstairs two at a time. Boa accidentally dropped her bra, and Jaejoong stared at it a moment, hoping it might just melt into the floor, along with himself. “Oh my god.”

Yunho was running for the phone, dialing Jinki as fast as he could manage and when he picked up, Jaejoong heard Jinki’s choice cursing loud and clear. “I’m so sorry,” Yunho moaned, “Jinki, I’m so sorry.”

“I blocked Kibum and Jonghyun in time but I couldn’t get to the girls. And you’d better check on Minho.”

Jaejoong was already running down the hall, forcing the door to Seohyun’s room open and nearly fainting from shock at the sight of her straddling Minho’s lap, both of them naked. “Oh god,” he said, and spun around to face the wall, trying very hard to not be affected. “Seohyun. Stop.”

He heard her whine and Minho growl, but he repeated the order to both of them. “Temporarily,” he said, “Cool down and make sure this is what you actually want before you do it.”

He waited, noting that the paint on the walls was fading and they’d have to give it another layer at some point before he heard Seohyun groan in embarrassment.

“Seohyun? Seohyun, wait!” Minho sounded terribly anxious, but Jaejoong stopped him from running after her. 

“Not like this, Minho. Oh my god, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” It took a moment for Minho to get himself back in order and straighten out his mind, and when he did, Jaejoong thought he was going to get punched. Minho’s arm was twitching dangerously.

“What did you do?”

“It’s more like what we forgot to do,” Jaejoong muttered, “Minho, I’m so sorry.”

“Oh god. Oh my god, I want to die. Go away.”

Minho made himself a cocoon of blankets and Jaejoong found he had nothing to say to make it better. “Sorry,” he said again, feeling utterly helpless. 

He checked on Yoona next, heart breaking as she crawled to him on the floor, sobbing. “I want a mate. I wanted to be _mated_.” What could he do but cuddle her? He tactfully didn’t mention her unfastened pants or obvious flush, and carefully rearranged her shirt for her as she clung to him. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Yoona.”

She was too distraught over being lonely to do anything but cry, and he waited until she had fallen asleep in exhaustion before tucking her underneath the covers. He heard noise out in the kitchen as he shut the door and with a sigh thinking _who next_ , headed towards the ruckus. 

But it was only Eric, laughing his ass off and Hyesung, patting Yunho on the shoulder as he hid his face in his hands.

And that was about all Jaejoong could take. “I’m going to cry,” he announced, and collapsed on the floor in complete mortification, finally realizing _everything_ he and Yunho had just done in the tub had been broadcast like an amateur porno throughout the _entire pack_ and he really just wanted to die. Kill him now and put him out of his misery. 

“Yunho wouldn’t like that,” Eric said into his ear. He was smiling, or that’s what Jaejoong could sort of see through his tears. “It happens at least once. You only just mated, Jaejoong, it takes awhile to get used to blocking. You’re not going to remember every time, not right off. You’ve all been tense and worried and have had a lot on your mind. Your pack understands.”

Jaejoong thought about the way Minho had nearly hit him. “I don’t know,” he said.

“There’s no way of getting around it. There isn’t a pack I’ve met this hasn’t happened to. It’s normal.”

_Minho tried to punch you_? Yunho asked, but there was no anger. Irritation, perhaps, but Minho had wisely chosen to stay his hand, and Jaejoong pointed that out. No harm done, except to the pack, of course. 

Belatedly, Jaejoong remembered Changmin and Junsu. He feared for a moment that the broadcasted show had screwed them up as well, but when he knocked on Changmin’s door, they were watching a movie on a laptop.

“I blocked myself in time,” Changmin said, one arm around Junsu’s shoulder and his other hand around a popcorn bowl. “Didn’t want to see that, thank you.”

“I almost got caught up in it,” Junsu admitted, blushing, “But Changmin helped me.”

Changmin snorted. “I’m awesome like that. Now go away. You’re ruining our stay-in date.”

Jaejoong shut the door, sniffing against his sleeve, and thinking he might burst into tears again. If Changmin had been able to block them in time and Yoochun hadn’t, there was a strong possibility Changmin was developing into a extraordinarily dominant wolf—well, there would be time to think about it later. There were probably extenuating circumstances Jaejoong didn’t know.

“They’re ok?” Yunho asked him, happy to let Jaejoong curl into his side. 

“Apparently Changmin blocked it.”

“Changmin blocked it?” Yunho frowned.

“Yes.”

The frown deepened, and Jaejoong could see Yunho having the same thoughts about Changmin and Yoochun. “You can talk to him later.”

“If he’s more dominant and he hasn’t said anything—“

“It might just be that he was concerned for Junsu and that made him able to resist our pull.”

“That would still make him more dominant, though,” Eric said from the counter. He was organizing their stash of take out menus and Jaejoong assumed he had ordered food. “Is Yoochun attached to his position as third? Because that’s something you should straighten out before we deal with Ara, especially if it’s going to be a problem.”

“I don’t know,” Yunho said. “I’ll talk to them.”

But Yoochun and Boa didn’t show up when their take out arrived. Bowls of jajangmyeon and sweet and sour chicken littered the counter and Jaejoong ended up taking out leftovers from previous dinners and tupperware full of side dishes to make a feast. 

Changmin and Junsu arrived hand in hand, Junsu still walking slow, but glowing happily. Changmin sat him down and filled plates for both of them, even trying to feed Junsu so he didn’t have to do anything but chew.

It was a little gross, even if it did make Jaejoong smile.

Yoona was the next to trudge into the kitchen. Jaejoong watched her carefully, as she hovered in the doorway, and when she saw him looking, flushed a bright red. She whirled around to leave, and he caught her half way back to her room. “Yoona.”

“I can’t. I can’t get it out of my head. I’m sorry. I know it’s perverted and sick but I can’t. I can’t erase it. I’m not ready to look at you, yet.”

“Everyone’s dealing with it, Yoona. It’s our own fault.”

“No. No, they’re not. You can’t—“ she gripped his arm tight, still unable to raise her head. “You can’t tell anyone what I did. That I—what I did—that I _touched_ —“ 

Jaejoong shushed her. “I won’t.”

“I’ve never—I just need time. Please give me time.”

He wasn’t exactly sure what was going on, but he promised, even giving her a hug. “Just say you’ll come to me if it doesn’t get better—whatever it is. Okay?”

“I promise.” She wasn’t lying, but Jaejoong could sense that she was hiding something, like in her mind she was saying, “I’ll come to you, but only as a last resort.”

“I’ll have someone bring you dinner.”

Yunho was staring at him expectantly when he got back, but Jaejoong shook his head. He heaped a plate of food and took out the mushrooms because he knew Yoona wouldn’t eat them, and gave her an extra bit of sauce. “Can someone take this to Yoona, please?”

Yunho reached for it, but Jaejoong batted his hand away. “Not you.”

“But—“

“She doesn’t want to see you right now,” Jaejoong said, holding the plate away, “Sit down and finish your meal.” 

Changmin snickered when Yunho did as he was told, even though Junsu elbowed him.

“I’ll take it,” Eric said, holding out his hand.

Not that Jaejoong had been hoping he would, but Eric was the best choice. And he knew it, giving Jaejoong a reassuring smile as he headed down the hallway. Jaejoong was starting to believe Eric could fix anything.

“So where were you the last few hours?” Changmin asked Hyesung, curious. “Not here, or I imagine you would’ve stopped that problem before it started.”

“We went to see Ara,” Hyesung said, so casually it took a minute for Jaejoong to process it.

“You _what_?” Yunho dropped his chopsticks.

“She’s kind of insane,” Hyesung continued, frowning. “I’m not sure we did any good. We may have unintentionally made it worse. Sorry about that.” 

Yunho was blinking rapidly, a sure sign his wolf was trying to take control and Jaejoong nudged his foot. Getting angry at the Marrok’s mate does nothing to help the situation. 

“We were right about her wanting werewolf body parts though—except she just wants yours.” Hyesung pointed to Yunho with a piece of meat caught between chopsticks.

Jaejoong realized he was unconsciously growling. _He is ours_ , Wolf said fiercely.

“Oh, relax,” Hyesung said, “That isn’t going to happen, stop worrying. At least we know her objective.”

“Hypothetically,” Changmin said, throwing a cautious glance in Jaejoong’s direction, “If she were to get what she wants—not that she _is_ —but say she were to get her hands on the heart of an Alpha. What would happen?”

“I’m not sure. Gumihos eat hearts and livers in an attempt to become more human—so I imagine she’s doing this in an attempt to become more werewolf?” Hyesung scoffed. “Not that it would actually work. She did seem rather interested in Eric…” The Marrok’s mate took on a scowl, obviously as unpleased as Jaejoong at thought of someone hurting his other half.

“We’ll form a plan tomorrow.” Yunho said.

And that was the end of the discussion, no one really wanting to further discuss gumihos or livers or hearts. Or maybe upset Jaejoong; he can’t say he really blamed them.

—

When the dishes had started to pile up (when Changmin and Junsu were done eating, Jaejoong noted,) Yoochun and Boa finally emerged, not looking the least bit embarrassed. They wouldn’t even accept an apology, because “how could something that ended so nicely for them be bad?” 

Yunho had laughed as he stood and patted Yoochun on the shoulder as he passed. “When you’re done here, I need to talk to you and Boa in my room.”

“Alright.” Yoochun didn’t look the least bit worried.

“And you can do the dishes,” Jaejoong piped in, “If you’re interested in my undying love and devotion.”

“Only Yunho has that,” Boa teased, “But we’ll do them together, since I’m still on a bit of a high.”

There actually wasn’t a lot, once they threw out all the take out containers, and Jaejoong didn’t feel bad as he followed Yunho up the stairs, asking Jinki to come over as soon as he could to address some pack business.

“About Changmin and Yoochun?” Jaejoong asked, when Yunho hung up.

“Yes. Want to get them for me?”

Changmin was studying when Jaejoong found him. “When you hear Yoochun and Boa finish the dishes, you can join us.”

“Sure,” Changmin waved, and he didn’t seem the least bit suspicious either. Jaejoong wondered if he knew he was more dominant than Yoochun or if he really was clueless. Their youngest was hard to read sometimes, even with werewolf senses. 

“Where’s Junsu?”

“Showering,” Changmin said.

Jaejoong didn’t bother knocking on the bathroom door, slipping inside to talk to Junsu through the curtain. “Once you’re done, we have pack stuff to talk about.”

“Is this about Yoochun and Changmin?”

“You know?” Jaejoong was surprised.

“Of course I know. I’m submissive, it’s very easy for me to sense these things.”

“Does Changmin know?”

Junsu’s head poked around the curtain, suds sticking his hair up at funny angles; Jaejoong immediately wished he had his phone so he could take a picture. “Changmin has no idea how strong he is. He’s too young to pick up on it. I’m almost done, I’ll be there soon.”

“You’re the best.”

Junsu blew him a bubbly kiss.

— 

By the hand of God (or some strange deity Jaejoong knew nothing of,) their timing worked out perfectly. Jinki managed to get to the house just as Changmin walked into Yunho’s bedroom. Though Jaejoong supposed it was his bedroom now too, and he flopped happily onto the bed, thinking that maybe he’ll spend the night starting to move his things in here. Yunho caught ahold of the thought and his approval exploded through their bond like fireworks.

They all heard Junsu getting dressed in the bathroom while Yoochun came up the stairs.

Yoochun paused in the doorway, taking in Changmin sitting on the floor, Jinki in the chair and Jaejoong still flopped on the bed. “What’s going on?”

“We need to talk,” Yunho said, “Where’s Boa?” 

Behind Yoochun, and entering carefully, hand linked with Yoochun’s. “Is this a war council?”

“Sort of.” Yunho pointed next to Changmin, “Sit down. We’re just waiting for Junsu.”

“Why is Junsu coming?” Changmin asked suspiciously. They could all feel him getting protective.

“Because this is about you,” Jaejoong said from the bed.

Changmin blinked, throwing a questioning glance to Yoochun as he sat down, Boa scooting up against his side, head on her mate’s shoulder. But Yoochun gave Changmin a shrug in return and Jaejoong felt the tension in the air creep up a notch. The silence didn’t help, nor did Yunho’s brooding facial expression, and Jaejoong told him to lighten up through their bond. 

_Please try not to distract me_ , Yunho told him. _Sit up, because I really just want to lay down next to you right now._

Jaejoong was half tempted reposition himself sexily, but he knew this was important. _I won’t say a word. I’ll just sit here silently in support, ready to jump on anyone that wants to cause trouble_. Gratefulness spread through their bond, and Jaejoong basked in it, breathing deep.

Junsu finally made an entrance, his happy bubble piercing the gloom miraculously, and Jinki stood up to give him the chair. “You may not,” He told Changmin, who tried to sit up next to Junsu. “Stay on the floor.”

“I’m fine,” Junsu told Changmin, before he could get upset, though Jaejoong could tell being ordered to sit on the floor made him grumpy. 

“What’s this about?” The question was directed at Yunho, Changmin’s arms crossed.

“Earlier,” Yunho said, no preamble, no blush, “Yoochun didn’t block us.”

“No,” Yoochun frowned, “I couldn’t.”

Changmin turned to him incredulously.

“And how much of that,” Yunho continued, with a raised hand to stop comments, “Was you actually unable to do it? Like do you think any part of that was due to the fact that you’re already mated and you didn’t really care to block it so you just let it happen?”

“I tried to make him block it,” Boa said, “But he couldn’t. We both tried.”

“ _You couldn’t block it_?” Changmin whispered. He sounded shell shocked.

“I don’t understand,” Yoochun frowned, “Why is this a problem? Should I have been able to?”

“Not necessarily,” Jinki cut in, “But…I was able to block myself as well as Kibum and Jonghyun.”

“Okay,” Yoochun said, “You’re second. That’s understandable.”

“Changmin blocked me,” Junsu offered from the chair, “He blocked himself and then he blocked me. We weren’t affected at all.”

There was a poignant silence as realization crept over them all, and then all of a sudden Yoochun was on his feet. “No,” he said, “No _fucking_ way will I allow—“

“Sit.” Yunho’s order rolled over all of them, and even Jinki slammed himself down onto the floor in his haste to obey. “This is obviously a problem and something that needs to be addressed. But dominance alone is not enough for me to officially change the order of this pack.”

“But—“ Junsu started.

“Outwardly, yes,” Yunho cut in with a growl, “Obviously this points to Changmin being more dominant, but not to the extent that I believe you are stable enough for the position. Yoochun’s been a wolf a long time, he’s mated, and he has time for the responsibilities that position requires. You are young,” Yunho said, pointing directly in Changmin’s face, “You’re still in school, you’ve only just started seeing Junsu. Can you honestly tell me that with all of that you could successfully balance duties of the third in _my_ pack? Especially when we’re about to face off with a skulk of gumihos?”

Changmin’s swallow was audible. He sat there with a glazed sort of look in his eyes that meant he was polling his wolf about this new discovery. Several minutes passed before he shook himself, and when he looked up at Yunho for a few seconds before averting his gaze, he said, “We cannot. That would be irresponsible.”

Yunho nodded. “Then I need your word that you will submit to Yoochun for however long I deem fit, even if it’s several years.”

Jaejoong watched Yoochun’s jaw twitch.

“I will.”

“Now,” Yunho ordered, “So that I can see. I don’t want to put it to the test when we’re about to have a fight.”

Changmin went down on his back in a matter of seconds, laying in front of Yoochun and tilting his neck, exposing it. He let Yoochun trail a hand across the vulnerable places on his stomach and ribs, and leaned in to caress Changmin’s throat with his nose. “You’re so good,” Yoochun murmured, “So obedient. Thank you.” There were tears in his eyes, and Jaejoong’s heart clenched. There was something special about a wolf submitting not because he had to, but because he chose to do so. 

“Junsu,” Yunho ordered, with a jerk of his head.

No one was surprised. Once they mated, Junsu would be able to access Changmin’s power, just as Jaejoong could access Yunho’s if he wanted, and Changmin helped Junsu lower himself to the floor, Yoochun reaching out to touch Junsu like he had Changmin. Junsu even arched into it, whining low as Yoochun’s fingers passed over him, and humming in satisfaction as Yoochun pressed a kiss to his neck. As a submissive, Junsu thrived on this sort of thing anyway, and he even managed to get a smile out of Yoochun as he backed away.

“Are you satisfied?” Yunho asked.

Yoochun nodded.

“Okay, then we’re done here. We’ll revisit this at a later date.”

Changmin stood first, careful to keep his gaze lowered as he helped Junsu to stand. They left quietly, Yoochun and Boa following. Jaejoong nearly collapsed as the tension in the room was cut in half. 

Yunho turned to Jinki. “What do you think?”

“I think once he settles a bit more with his wolf he is going to be ridiculously dominant. Possibly even more than me.”

Yunho looked surprised. 

“Well, I don’t know for sure. It took a lot of effort for me to block three people. He made it sound like he didn’t even have to think about it in order to block two.”

“Is this going to be a problem?” Jaejoong inwardly sighed; they seemed to be having a lot of those.

“No,” Jinki shook his head, “He’s isn’t more dominant than me yet, and if he were to be—” he paused, then smiled, “Well, then what can I do? If he ends up more dominant than me, then so be it.”

“You have got to be the most easy-going werewolf in the world,” Yunho said.

“My wolf and I don’t like to fight. If Changmin truly is more dominant than he can have our rank.”

“You’re pretty fantastic.”

Jinki grinned. “I’m going to head back now. I have the night shift and I’d like a few hours sleep before I have to report.”

“You can sleep in one of the guest rooms if you want,” Jaejoong offered. He had sensed Yunho was about to say the same thing. 

But Jinki shook his head. “The drive will clear my mind.”

He bowed to them both, something about the action pleasing Jaejoong in a way that wouldn’t have had they not been werewolves, and couldn’t help his satisfied sigh when Yunho ran his hand the length of Jaejoong’s back.

“You know, I’m not sure all your stuff will fit in here.”

“Nonsense,” Jaejoong scoffed. “I will make it all fit. I’ve been meaning to clear out my crap anyway—there’s a lot of stuff that I have that doesn’t fit me anymore.”

“Too fat?” Yunho teased.

“If you _even_ ,” Jaejoong started. Yunho bent down to kiss him and it was several minutes before he could get a decent lungful of air. Not that he minded much.

“I’m going to talk to Yoochun a bit more,” Yunho said, “He still felt anxious when he left.”

Jaejoong just smiled, stretching languidly on the bed before rising to his feet. He really did want to move some stuff into this room. Clothes, to start, and his more important possessions. 

He hauled some boxes up from the basement to make it easier and unloaded his drawers into them, sorting through his clothes, resolved to give his older stuff away to the second hand store downtown. 

Half way through his closet, there was a noise at the window. Jaejoong’s senses flared dangerously, and he spun on his heel, knowing it wasn’t anyone in the pack and nearly swallowing his tongue when he came face to face with a gumiho. It was the same one that had tried to come and take Minho back to Ara. Her lips were still pink and her ponytail swishing back and forth.

“Oh. Well, you’re not Yunho. But I guess you’ll do.”

Jaejoong did the only thing he could think of: he opened himself to the pack, mentally screaming bloody murder before his world went black.


	7. Final

Jaejoong woke slowly, his mouth dry and body aching. His tongue hit cloth as he tried to talk and he groaned: he was gagged. His hands and feet were shackled together with silver cuffs and he was laying in the middle of a silver cage, the metal burning his skin and making his head swim. He recognized the room: it was Ara’s, the place he and Yunho had come to get Minho.

He tried to move but there was too much silver, and he finally retched, the pain it caused him nearly overwhelming. Right. Time for drastic measures.

Jaejoong began the change. Wolf helped, slowly aiding Jaejoong through the pain as he shifted. The gag felt off as Jaejoong’s body morphed, the silver falling away from his body as his hands became smaller paws. There was still the cage, but at least now the silver wasn’t charring his skin.

“You’re awake.”

Jaejoong bared his teeth because he had no strength to stand.

“I wanted Yunho,” Ara’s voice said, “But if I have his mate, he’ll most likely come to get you. And then I have _both_ of you. And if that fails, I’ll just eat you and I know for sure that will give me some power over Yunho.”

Yunho. Jaejoong let Wolf growl as he pleased and tried to find Yunho through their mate bond. He was incredibly surprised when he felt him, blistering with rage and barely able to contain himself, but there. 

_You’re alive_!

_Barely_ , Jaejoong said. He sent a mental picture of the room.

_We’ll be there soon. Hold on._

_She wants you to come and rescue me. Be careful._

_We will be. Hang in there, Jaejae. I love you._

“I hope you’re telling Yunho where we are.” Ara was grinning. “I’ll leave you be, now. You can change back if you want, I won’t re-shackle you. But I am going to shoot you, just so you can’t go anywhere.”

And before Jaejoong could dodge, there was a searing pain in his side. Silver. The bullet lodged in muscle, or at least that Jaejoong could tell. He wasn’t one for anatomy so it could just have easily made a hole in something more important.

_Jaejoong_? Yunho sounded thunderous.

_Bullet_ , Jaejoong thought, gritting his teeth.

Yunho was past livid, his rage nearly rendering him on the border of losing control, and Jaejoong did what he could to reassure him. He started his shift again, hoping the bullet would come out as his body reshaped themselves, and thankfully, that’s exactly what it did. The wound remained, however, and he would bleed until someone could patch him up—silver was a bitch.

He used his ruined clothes to wrap his wound as best he could, and laid in the middle of the cage trying not to move.

_There’s another werewolf in here_ , Wolf murmured to him.

Jaejoong opened his eyes, taking stock of the room again. He didn’t sense anything at first, but soon found Wolf was right. A werewolf lay against the wall, naked and half in shadow, with russet hair and piercing blue eyes. He was watching Jaejoong, his gaze predatory.

Jaejoong took a stab in the dark, rather than think of the stabbing pain in his side. “You must be Taemin.”

The wolf blinked at him, nodded once.

“My name is Jaejoong.”

“Wolf,” Taemin said.

Jaejoong’s side throbbed. “That’s right. I’m a wolf.”

Taemin’s eyes fell to Jaejoong’s side. “Dead wolf, soon.”

“I imagine it’s worse than I’m telling myself.” But it’s okay. He’ll be okay. Yunho would come and save the day. He would. If Jaejoong died, Ara would have no bargaining chip; she must have known that. She wouldn’t have wounded him fatally—assuming she knew what she was doing at all.

“You’re the one turning all the humans,” Jaejoong said, taking another stab. They technically already knew it was true anyway.

And the way Taemin looked at him confirmed it once and for all.

“Do you remember Minho?” Jaejoong asked. His side flared as he took a breath. He’d gotten used to healing quickly; he’d forgotten how to deal with pain.

“Minho,” Taemin murmured, licking his lips. “I remember Minho. He was hurt.”

“He was. But we saved him. He’s living with us now.”

Taemin sat up, cocking his head. “He alive?”

“He’s alive,” Jaejoong nodded. “How many humans have you turned?”

Taemin picked at a tear in his jeans. “Lots. All dead.”

Because Ara gave their hearts and livers to her skulk, the bitch. It’s the only logical conclusion, unless Taemin didn’t know what he was doing when he turned people. 

“Why do you do it?” Jaejoong asked. His throat was burning, and he could feel something (blood? Bile?) creeping up his throat as his muscles started to relax and he lost his ability to control them. He swallowed hard.

“She has Mate,” Taemin said, and his eyes border on bleeding white. “Must turn or Mate die.”

Blackmail, then. They could deal with blackmail. Maybe Yunho wouldn’t feel the need to kill Taemin because of it.

“Taemin,” Jaejoong murmured, “If you help me, if you help us when Yunho gets here I will get you mate. Your Mate. You can have her back.”

“But I change people for you? No difference, not even if have Mate.”

“No, no changing. You won’t have to turn anyone, Taemin. You can stay with us with your mate and never have to see Ara again.”

Jaejoong could see Taemin weighing this option in his mind, though what the possible plusses of staying with Ara were, Jaejoong’s sure he didn’t know. But Taemin didn’t seem quite all there and if Ara really did have Taemin’s mate, the likelihood of her death should Yunho fail to rescue Jaejoong was one hundred percent.

But of course Yunho wouldn’t fail, Jaejoong knew. Yunho would come. He’d be there soon. 

_Precious. Beautiful. Mine_ , Yunho murmured through their bond, _A minute. I am a minute away._

Jaejoong glanced down at his side, noting with a small amount of apprehension the blood that had started to pool on the concrete floor, dripping off of the clothing he’d tied around it. _Not to worry you further, but if you could hurry just a bit more, that would be fantastic._ He sent a mental picture of his injury down their link and he felt Yunho’s speed increase. 

Silver was a _goddamn bitch._

A moment later, Ara swept back into the room. “He’s here!” She said, like a child expecting home a father. A father with fangs and very large claws, Jaejoong though wryly, that wouldn’t let Ara off with just a spanking. Death was waiting for Ara, and not an easy one.

“Just in time to save you,” Ara cooed, poking a finger through the cage and smiling, “How sweet. How romantic! How futile. Just like Taemin when he first came. But you learned, didn’t you? It’s better to do as your told.” She pulled out the gun she’d shot Jaejoong with earlier and he half expected her to lick it. But she only started to load it with bullets.

He moved his head a little, his gaze resting on Taemin. His wolf was in control, and he gave Jaejoong a look that made the rest of Jaejoong’s worries fall away. Taemin was theirs.

_Taemin is here and he’s agreed to help_ , Jaejoong said. He could hear Yunho roaring and the sound of loud crashing slowly getting nearer. _Ara has a gun, be careful_.

_We have a pack of very angry wolves_ , Yunho’s wolf returned, _She will not stop us from getting to you even if she has cannons_.

And then Yunho was suddenly in the room. One moment the only sound was Jaejoong trying to breathe around whatever was filling his lungs and the next moment the door smashed into the wall across the room. The following minutes were a blur. He heard several gun shots, though he didn’t feel any of them hit Yunho. Images whirled around him, wolves and people and gumihos, loud noises and screaming. 

But he didn’t need to look down to know he’d lost too much blood. Nearly enough to border on dangerous, even for a werewolf.

He blinked slowly, knowing he was still in a cage and his wonderful pack of werewolves—his silver-sensitive pack of werewolves—were going to have to break into it before they could get him to help.

Jaejoong tried to swallow back his tears but he felt a few escape. He didn’t want to grasp onto Yunho for strength because he’d be a distraction in the fight, but when he tried to open his eyes and he couldn’t see anything, he thought this was it. This was the time for him to be selfish.

Their mate bond was open, and he could feel Yunho, feel him fighting and tearing apart gumihos like they were tissue paper. “I need you.” He’s not sure if he actually said it out loud, but a moment later he was standing in Yunho’s forest, warm, content, and face to face with Yunho’s wolf. With Yunho.

A step on the springy moss brought him nose to nose with the wolf, and he laid a hand on the fur, petting at the mottled black and grey, kissing a spot of white behind an ear. “I need you,” Jaejoong whispered.

A human Yunho kissed him back, wolf gone, and Jaejoong couldn’t hold back the sob in his throat. “You have me. You always have me.”

—

The touch to his hand was soft and it grounded him, as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. There was no beep of a monitor or smell of antiseptic, so wherever he was, it wasn’t a hospital. Had they lost? Was Yunho dead?

No. Jaejoong could smell him. Jaejoong could feel their bond thrumming with energy. 

They were both alive.

He opened his eyes, blinking and after his vision focused on a familiar ceiling, knew he was safe. Home. He looked to his right and saw Yunho collapsed on the bed, half in a chair half out of it, mouth hanging open as he slept. Adorable.

It was his hand that was in Jaejoong’s and he must have squeezed it in his sleep. Jaejoong desperately wanted him to wake up.

Something huffed on the other side of the room and though it took some time, Jaejoong turned his head. Changmin and Junsu were on the floor, both of them sleeping as well, Junsu held tight against Changmin’s chest, their heads thrown back on cushions from the couch downstairs, legs tangled together. Yoochun was next to them, Boa’s head on his lap as he slouched against a wall.

In fact the entire pack was there, even Kibum, still in his wolf form and curled up on the bed around Jaejoong’s feet, keeping them warm. His yellow fur looked soft and brushed, like someone had taken great care in cleaning him and Jaejoong knew. They’d all gone to fight for him. They’d all come back. Safe.

His hand was squeezed again and when he looked back at it, Yunho was awake, smiling through his tears and kneeling on the floor. He was trying to say something but entirely overcome and unable. So Jaejoong squeezed his hand back as best he could, closing his eyes and just basking in the warmth of their bond. 

_Love you_ , Yunho said in Jaejoong’s mind. 

_What happened?_

Jaejoong had actually missed Yunho’s pout. “I love _you_ ,” he croaked, and when his vocal cords refused to cooperate further, changed back to their mindspeak. _Is everyone okay_?

_Everyone’s fine._

_Ara? Taemin?_

Yunho’s face darkened. _Ara is dead, obviously. Like I’d allow her to live after what she did to you. Taemin—he’s alive. Mourning. Eric and Hyesung are watching him._

Jaejoong raised an eyebrow.

“Ara apparently killed his mate and ate her heart and liver, which did exactly what we were fearing.”

_She became…a wolf_?

“Not quite. The bond between Taemin and his mate transferred to her, due to her magic, which is why Taemin still thought his mate was alive. That was her first experiment and when she realized that worked, well… If she could get to an Alpha it would give her a whole pack of wolves to command.” Yunho let out a breath, pout returning. “Do we really need to talk about this the second you wake up?”

“I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”

Yunho leaned over a bit more to kiss the hollow of Jaejoong’s throat. “Don’t talk, it sounds painful.”

_Thank you for rescuing me. I never thought I’d be the damsel in distress._

“You’re anything but a _damsel_ ,” Yunho growled, “And if it had been me, you would have done the same thing.”

Jaejoong would have. For any of the pack.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life. When you screamed into the bond like that—I thought you’d died. I thought—“ Yunho let out a shaky breath. “I blacked out for a half hour, and when I woke up it was just—chaos. Madness. All I wanted was to rip apart whomever had hurt you. If Eric hadn’t been here I’d—it would not have ended well. He made we wait until I felt you and had that not happened I would have been too late to save you.”

_So we are talking about what happened_?

Yunho huffed a laugh, but he was crying, and Jaejoong wiped the tears away, patting his cheek. _Lay with me_.

Yunho’s body was warm, solid, and cozy. Although Jaejoong couldn’t move much, Yunho fit around him easily, avoiding the wound on his side.

_I have to say, watching you storm into the room like that was pretty spectacular._

_I don’t ever want to have to do it again_.

Neither could promise it, and they knew that, but the sentiment was the important part, anyway. 

_I’m tired_ , Jaejoong said.

_Rest, then._ Yunho kissed Jaejoong’s temple and it was only a few moments before Jaejoong slipped easily into sleep.

—

Yunho wasn’t in the bed when Jaejoong woke up, but Jinki was there, looking intently at Jaejoong’s side as he reapplied bandages. He had his medical face on, and Jaejoong decided to remain quiet and still until Jinki was done.

“What’s the verdict?” Jaejoong rasped, when Jinki stood up.

“The verdict is you shouldn’t talk,” Jinki frowned, “But since you asked: you’ll survive.”

Jaejoong let out a hacking cough that was supposed to be a laugh. 

“Seohyun will be back soon, she just wanted me to check on you since she hasn’t been here for a few days.”

Jaejoong cocked his head.

“You were out for a long while after we got you back. Yunho said you woke up yesterday for a few minutes, but it’s been ten hours or so since then. Want me to get him? He’s taking a shower.”

Jaejoong shook his head. He could already feel Yunho speeding up the process and knew he’d be there soon.

“Tea? Seohyun said you could drink a bit if you wanted, and it’ll help your throat.”

Jaejoong nodded.

“I have to go to work, but I’ll send someone up with it.”

He squeezed Jaejoong’s shoulder as he left, swinging his EMT bag over his shoulder and hurrying out. 

_Be right there_ , Yunho whispered into his mind.

But his tea arrived first, Junsu nearly spilling it all over the floor in his haste and helping Jaejoong to sit up just a bit in order to drink it.

“Seohyun says your healing really fast,” he said, holding the cup to Jaejoong’s lips and helping him take a sip, “She says you’ll be able to sit up by yourself really soon and you’ll be walking by tomorrow. There was a ton of silver in you, not just where you were shot.” He frowned. “I wanted to help fight, but Yunho and Changmin wouldn’t let me.”

“Changmin wanted to protect you. It’s his instinct as a dominant, you know that,” Jaejoong pointed out, and _wow_ the tea really did help his throat, “And I imagine Yunho needed someone here to hold down the fort.”

“That’s exactly what he said,” Junsu said, scrunching his nose, “But the gumihos _kidnapped_ you. I’m perfectly capable of fighting.”

“You are,” Jaejoong agreed, “But Junsu—you’re still not one hundred percent either. You were already hurt and no one wanted to see you hurt even more.”

He could feel Yunho’s approval at this explanation. Junsu’s pout told him he had known this all along.

“If it makes you feel any better, I doubt I’ll be doing much of anything after this. We can stay home together.”

_Damn right_ , Yunho said into his mind, and Jaejoong found he didn’t even mind.

“Where’s Changmin?”

“At his final,” Junsu pouted, “He’s blocked me.”

“You can feel him?” Jaejoong asked curiously.

“A little. It’s not an actual mate bond but—if I focus hard enough, he’s there, at the edge of the pack bond, a little more distinct than the rest of you.”

“You two are really weird.”

“Eric said it’s normal.”

Technically, Jaejoong wouldn’t know about normal.

Yunho entered the room just then, and Junsu handed over the tea. “I’m going to go sulk until Changmin gets back,” he said, “Feel better, Jaejae.”

“I thought I was the only one that got to call you that,” Yunho pouted, after Junsu left.

“Just the two of you,” Jaejoong sighed, “But it means something different when you say it.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

But he climbed onto the bed anyway, sliding easily next Jaejoong and letting him rest against his arm, holding the tea for him and helping him drink. “Jinki says I’m kicking butt,” Jaejoong told him, quite happy as Yunho started playing with his hair.

“Mm. You’ve slept through the dangerous stage. Your side is healing. Seohyun distinctly told me I could hold you—but I’m not allowed to do anything else.”

“Did she blush when she said that?”

“A little,” Yunho said, “She’s been avoiding Minho like the plague.”

“They did almost have sex.”

“I sort of want to lock them in a room together.”

“She has a boyfriend at the hospital, and just because we haven’t met him, doesn’t mean we push Minho at her.”

Yunho snorted. “You’re such a mother. I take back what I said about you not being a damsel.”

“If I wasn’t injured…” Jaejoong threatened.

Yunho kissed his cheek. “I know. You can beat me up for it later.”

Jaejoong had a list of things he was going to do when he was better, and while punching Yunho wasn’t one of them, he had a few other ideas for punishment that would work much better.

“Sadist,” Yunho accused.

“Don’t be a hater,” Jaejoong replied easily, and found himself kissing Yunho, suddenly. _I doubt this is on Seohyun’s list of approved activities._

_Well, it’s not on her list of banned ones,_ Yunho retorted, but he pulled away. “If you’re feeling up to it, the pack wants to come in for awhile. But I can make them wait if you want to sleep.”

Jaejoong polled his body. “I want to rest,” he decided.

Yunho got back out of the bed, arranging the pillows and blankets around Jaejoong and smoothing back his hair. His forehead was kissed, once. “Stay ’til I fall asleep.”

Yunho sat back down.

“Sing,” Jaejoong demanded.

He fell asleep to the soft crooning of Yunho’s voice, more content than he had been in years.

—

Changmin was there when Jaejoong next woke up.

“Can I please have your permission to tease Yunho forever? I didn’t even know he could sing.”

“You may not,” Jaejoong frowned. “That’s mean.”

“Just a little?” Changmin bargained. “I’ll do dishes for a week.”

Jaejoong pretended to think about it for a minute. “I like that he sang to me too much. No teasing.”

Changmin shrugged. “How are you feeling?”

Fine, once Jaejoong gave himself a mental check. He was able to sit up on his own, even if Changmin’s hand hovered behind him in case he collapsed. “Tea?” Jaejoong asked hopefully, “And if you want to sneak me ice cream like you did with Junsu…”

“I’m not stupid enough to do that again, but lucky for you, Seohyun was here earlier and said you could eat when you woke. So how about some broth to start?”

“And crackers,” Jaejoong said. “And Yunho.”

“Sorry, you’re not allowed to eat Yunho,” Changmin leered, but there was a sparkle in his eye. Jaejoong chuckled without feeling like he was going to hack up a lung; it was great. “I’ll be back.” He had the nerve to ruffle Jaejoong’s hair.

“I’m telling,” Jaejoong called, intent on having someone yell at Changmin for treating Jaejoong like a child. 

He flipped Changmin off as he left but heard only laughter in response. Bastard.

Jaejoong was still seething a little, when Eric invaded, smiling as he led Taemin behind him. Someone had trimmed his hair for him and with it pulled away from his face, the wolf was stunning. “Hi,” Jaejoong breathed, accepting Eric’s gentle pat and reaching out a hand to grab at Taemin’s, “You look good.”

“Because he ate an actual meal,” Eric snorted, tucking Taemin in close to his body. “We’ve come to say goodbye. Hyesung already left because there was an issue to deal with, but I decided to wait.”

“You’re going to stay with Eric’s pack?” Jaejoong asked Taemin.

“Just for a little,” Taemin said, “I want—“ He swallowed, raising his head and meeting Jaejoong’s eyes. “You save me.”

“Saved,” Eric corrected gently, with a touch to Taemin’s shoulder.

“Saved me,” Taemin said, “I want to be here. With you.”

Jaejoong looked back at Eric. Then why was Taemin going with the Marrok? Jaejoong didn’t at all mind taking care of Taemin. They were more than capable of—

“You have a lot to deal with, Jaejoong,” Eric said, “I’m going to take care of Taemin for awhile. Fix his speech, get him a psychologist. When your pack is more stable, then I’ll allow him to stay with you.”

And that was fair. They had Kibum and Yoona and Changmin and all sorts of problems in between that needed to be settled. Jaejoong found himself nodding before he could stop. Taemin took a step forward, settling easily on the bed and folding around Jaejoong in a hug. “You can call and talk to me any time,” Jaejoong told him, “Okay? In case the psych is a dumb one.”

“The pscyh is a part of my pack,” Eric said, amused.

Jaejoong ignored him. “I’ll look forward to the day when you return. And even if you want to just visit that’s ok, too”

“Alright,” Taemin agreed. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

Jaejoong patted his head, found it in himself to kiss Taemin’s cheek, before Eric pulled him away. “No need to upset your future Alpha. We’re going to miss the train, let’s go.”

“He’s not going to upset me.”

Yunho had a tray of food, sliding easily around Eric and putting it down on a desk. “Come here.” He held out a hand and pulled Taemin in close. He didn’t say anything, but Taemin had a few tears escaping him, shuddering as Yunho held him, gave him a taste of the love and acceptance he would get once he became _pack_. Jaejoong nearly broke down himself. Again.

_Damsel_ , Yunho said into their bond, and had his alpha and Taemin not been having a moment, Yunho would be dead. 

_You’re dead_ , Jaejoong hissed. Yunho met his eyes over Taemin’s shoulder and he was smiling. The bastard was smiling.

“Come on, I brought you food,” Yunho entreated, once Eric and Taemin left, “Don’t be mad.”

“I wish I was well enough to remind you that _I am not a woman_.”

“Didn’t call you a woman.”

“ _Jung Yunho_ ”

“Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry.”

He even pouted. Jaejoong was growing to hate that pout, no matter how adorable.

“Feed me and maybe I’ll forget.”

Yunho did, spoonful by spoonful, the expression on his face so loving Jaejoong could hardly bear it. He ended up mesmerized by the smile playing across Yunho’s lips and the way his eyes crinkle because of it. He had a sudden urge to kiss Yunho’s scar and found himself pouting every time Yunho pulled away.

“I know what you’re doing.”

“So then let me,” Jaejoong said, trying to sound seductive.

“When you feel better.”

“I can kiss you and control myself!”

“I can’t,” Yunho said.

Jaejoong blinked at him.

“At least not right now. You were—gone. You were taken from me and I could barely feel you. You almost died and I started to regret all the things I hadn’t done with you, all the things I hadn’t said. So now we’re going to do them. Just once you’ve healed, and if we start now, you aren’t going to heal. You won’t rest. I want you,” Yunho breathed, “I want you so bad, Kim Jaejoong, and if I give myself leeway it will be the end of me.”

“You kissed me earlier.”

“You were not as well, then,” Yunho said solemnly. 

“Easier to resist?”

“Yes,” Yunho said, and pushed back some of Jaejoong’s bangs gently. “Don’t be upset, mate.”

“Just miffed,” Jaejoong sighed, “But I’m already over it. You’re right, as usual.”

He let their heads rest together, fingers entwining and he sighed again, though this time out of happiness. He was content.

“We’ll be great, you and I,” Yunho murmured, rubbing the ridges of Jaejoong’s hands, the pads of his fingertips soft.

Jaejoong thought so too. Yunho was a great Alpha, one of the best, which Eric had acknowledged several times while he was here. Yunho would watch over them and protect them and Jaejoong would watch over and protect _Yunho_. And everything would be grand. Junsu had been right—they were perfect for each other.

Five years from now, Jaejoong doesn’t think that’ll change. Not fifty or five hundred or however long they both live. Yunho will lead and Jaejoong will follow and probably have to hit him over the head when he does something stupid.

“You’ve grown so much,” Yunho whispered, “You are one hundred times the person, the _wolf_ you were just a week ago. Just yesterday, even. That I get the best seat to watch you floors me. You amaze me, Kim Jaejoong, and I am so in love with you.”

“You’re going to make me cry.”

“Cry, then. _We’re going to be great_. My mate loves me and supports me and while doing that, you’ve managed to support the pack and fix their problems and make everyone eat and write your book and just—“

Jaejoong felt his stomach drop, panic overtaking him because _oh god_ he had forgotten about work and his deadline and his editor was going to murder him and—

“Shit. _Shit_.”

Yunho looked ready to tear something to pieces again. “What?”

“ _My book_.”

 

 

**Epilogue - Two Weeks Later**

 

“Stop _fidgeting_.”

“Flowers won’t piss him off, right? I mean, it’s a performance. Flowers are okay. Right?”

Jaejoong very nearly threw up all over his nice suit. “Flowers are fine. Relax, or I’ll make you.”

“It’s just that this is his first lead role and you know it’s a big deal and Junsu’s worked so hard and I wanted to be—“

“Changmin,” Jaejoong said sweetly, though he gripped the other wolf’s arm tightly, “Junsu is going to appreciate the flowers, especially since you are the one that’s giving them to him. Shut up about it or there will be consequences.”

Yunho was laughing through their bond, wisely choosing to not do it out loud and seem as though he was actually focusing on the program he had in his hands.

“Yunho,” Changmin whined.

“I know better than to get involved,” Yunho said, dropping an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulders.

Changmin pouted, looking desolate, lost, and Jaejoong sighed, finally feeling a bit of pity. “Junsu loves everything you give him, Changmin. He loves _you_. Don’t worry about it.”

“But they’re girly. Aren’t they? I don’t want him to think—”

“I am done with this conversation.”

They were waiting backstage, nodding at all the extras and backstage crew that walked by them, the few that knew who they were giving them a cheerful wave and “Junsu’s been waylaid by the director, he’ll be here soon.” 

“Waylaid,” Changmin frowned, “Like he’s being forced.”

Submissive or no, Junsu’s a wolf, and can’t really be forced to do anything. At least not by some puny human, and Jaejoong means that literally. The director has to be one of the smallest people he’d ever seen.

“Seriously what did you take before coming here? Are you on something? _Get the stick out of your ass_.”

“Enough,” Yunho pushed Jaejoong to his other side before Changmin could hit him.

“ _Growl at him_ ,” Jaejoong demanded, poking Yunho in the side.

“No,” Yunho said, “Stop acting like you’re five. _Both_ of you,” he added, throwing a look at Changmin. Jaejoong decided it was better than nothing, and he hooked his arm through Yunho’s.

And as Jaejoong had predicted, Changmin was the most important thing to Junsu anyway. When Junsu saw them, all he bothered with was Changmin, jumping at him and clinging as Changmin spluttered. 

“Thank you for coming I didn’t even mess up one note oh my god Changmin did you get me flowers that is so sweet they’re the best flowers ever are you blushingohmygodyou’readorableandiloveyoudidyouliketheshow? Please tell me you liked the show.”

“The show was amazing,” Changmin whispered, “You were amazing, even if those girls had their hands all over you.”

Junsu laughed and it was so _happy_ so _full_ , Jaejoong wanted to squish his face and tickle him to make sure he never stopped. Jaejoong wanted him to be this happy forever. 

Yunho pressed a kiss just behind his ear and Jaejoong’s stomach flipped over several times. _Now you know how I feel about you._

_I hope you’re not jealous because you think I don’t want you to be happy_ , Jaejoong thought back, though he was having a hard time breathing as Yunho kissed his neck again.

_Of course not. I know exactly how you feel._

Like how incredibly turned on he was by Yunho just breathing next to him? Well, then. Jaejoong would have to do something about that later.

“No flowers from you?” Junsu pouted.

Jaejoong had to shake his head to clear it. “I’ve got something better.”

Junsu’s eyes lit up. He held out a hand expectantly, letting Changmin keep his arms around him and rest a chin on his shoulder.

But Jaejoong ignored Junsu’s hand and dangled a key in front of his face instead. “We’re returning the favor.”

Changmin realized it before Junsu and his face turned the darkest shade of red Jaejoong had ever seen it. 

“We couldn’t get the cottage, but you have a suite in a super expensive hotel for the next week if you want it.”

True, Jaejoong and Yunho had only gotten a day, maybe two depending on how you counted time, but Yunho had insisted, and when Yunho started giving things out it was never half assed. Jaejoong could personally attest to that.

“A _what_ ,” Changmin croaked, at the same time Junsu threw his arms around Jaejoong and stumbled over his thank yous. 

“Returningthefavorohmygod,” Junsu cackled, “But a week!”

“We want to do this for you, you’ve waited long enough.” Yunho was looking at Changmin as he said it, and by the time Junsu had turned around to grin at him, Changmin’s blush was gone and there was a bit of gold creeping into his eyes. 

“Thank you.”

“Your dead if I see your face any sooner than next week,” Jaejoong threatened, “We had bags sent there already and if you’re missing anything call and let us know. Alright?”

Junsu was thrumming with energy, his flailing contained only when Changmin wrapped his fingers around Junsu’s wrist to tug him closer.

“We had a no touching Jaejoong rule, remember?”

This time Jaejoong cackled, his mirth spilling into his bond with Yunho. “You want to know how many times he’s broken that rule?”

“You don’t have to spill my secret. I’ll tell him myself. Later.”

Yunho was laughing, nearly doubled over as Changmin choked on air and Junsu smirked at him. 

“See you in a week, then,” Jaejoong said, “Remember: you’re in big trouble if you come home too soon.”

Jaejoong let Yunho lead him away, and a very quick glance back, showed Changmin and Junsu’s tightly entwined fingers as they headed to Junsu’s dressing room to pack his things. They were already mostly closed off to the pack and if they made it to the hotel before mating, Jaejoong was going to be duly impressed.

“They better make it there. I had strawberries and champagne sent to their room.”

“You’ve never gotten me strawberries and champagne.”

“I’m saving it,” Yunho said.

“For what? Better not be something stupid like an anniversary. You don’t save things like strawberries and champagne, Jung Yunho. Not with me.”

“If I want to save them, I’m going to save them. When they appear, you’re going to be floored. You’re going to thank me for bringing them out when I did.”

“You better be joking.”

“I guess you’ll have to see.”

Jaejoong had half a mind to actually get angry, but then realized that now Yunho would have to plan something, and either way, he’d get his strawberries and maybe even more than that.

“I guess I will,” Jaejoong replied, and Yunho’s mischievousness echoed through their bond. Their hands slid together easily, not even caring about the people that noticed and stared, and he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face.

“Race you to the car,” Yunho offered, and took off, shouting something about penalties for the loser over his shoulder. He purposefully mumbled his words, because Jaejoong couldn’t make them out, but it didn’t matter. He took off after Yunho, laughing.

Oh yes. Jaejoong was definitely going to benefit from this.

 

 

 

\--

Instead of making a new chapter (because I am lazy,) I'm adding in some extra scenes here. :)

 

Confession Scene (Yunho’s POV) for Rhea.  
PG. Yunjae.

In his entire time he’d known Jaejoong, Yunho’s never seen him this fragile, this _small_ , even though he isn’t much shorter than Yunho himself. Yunho feels like if he squeezes just a smidgen harder, Jaejoong’s bones will crack. But he doesn’t want to let go, doesn’t want to give Jaejoong an ounce of room to wiggle away. Yunho has to know. He has to fix this, has to put everything right once and for all. So he waits. Waits as he listens to Jaejoong whine low in his throat, no doubt struggling with his temperamental wolf.

“Jaejoong?”

He presses his cheek to Jaejoong’s head, feeling him tremble, before realizing that something _inside_ feels different. Something is changing. Jaejoong can’t stop shaking, his breath speeding up as his heart does. Yunho wonders—he hopes—

And there.

It’s dissolving. The block between Alpha and Wolf is being erased, bit by bit and with each piece Jaejoong rips away, it’s as if he becomes even smaller. He lifts his head before the barriers to his soul are gone completely, his eyes so white Yunho nearly takes a step back. But before he can read into it, Jaejoong opens his mouth and says, “Mate.”

Bambi howls and Yunho’s ears ring. For a horrified second, Yunho wonders at the word, can’t make sense of it beyond the fear (and regret and hurt) drowning his soul. He doesn’t even know if these are his emotions, or Jaejoong’s or the pack’s or—

Jaejoong leans in and kisses him and his emotions flood out of him.

“ _Jaejoong_.”

Images flash through his mind, Jaejoong at a signing and immediately recognizing Yunho’s scent, Jaejoong following it and meeting Yoochun, Jaejoong thinking he’s going to meet his mate but being confronted with his girlfriend instead, Jaejoong thinking the pack hated gays, Jaejoong thinking that _Yunho_ would hate him. Fear and rejection and hurt yet all the while love. Jaejoong loves Yunho so much it makes him physically ill to hold it all back.

Yunho’s loved.

He has a mate. A mate that’s been in his pack and hiding it from all of them.

_I’m an idiot_ , Yunho thinks, as he listens to Jaejoong talk about being abandoned, about being thrown out of his house. He doesn’t want to be thrown away, doesn’t want to be rejected, and Yunho can see where this is going, Yunho knows Jaejoong’s thinking that if it were to happen again, he’d kill himself.

And it’s that thought that makes Yunho angry. He nearly digs claws into Jaejoong’s shoulder as he starts to put the pieces together and looks—really _looks_ —at Jaejoong without anything in the way of him. Of them. 

He’s so beautiful. “You are—unearthly,” Yunho starts, and it pours out of him from there, all the things he’s admired about Jaejoong, that pulled him to the wolf—to his mate—even when he couldn’t see all of him. Bambi is still howling mournfully in the back of his mind, and Yunho can’t hold back his tears, his pulse thundering as he cradles Jaejoong’s face and realizes that there is nothing for him to hate, no reason for him to reject Jaejoong, and that Yunho can’t. He is physically incapable of saying no.

“Mate,” Yunho whispers again, when they’re standing in the bathroom later, waiting for the water to heat so Jaejoong can shower. He means it. He means it from the bottom of his heart, feeling warmth spreading from where his lips are pressed to Jaejoong’s, all the way down to his feet against the cold tile.

It’s not this easy, there’s lots to discuss, but as the water pounds from behind them, and Yunho kisses the air from Jaejoong’s lungs until his eyes are dazed and his cheeks flush, they can pretend that all they need to do is say yes.

 

\--

I found this lurking in my “written but don’t want to delete” folder. It’s sort of an expanded scene in which Eric reams out Yunho about Yoona. PG

 

 

“Wait, you’ve just left her room now?” Jaejoong asked. It had been hours since dinner.

Eric nodded, then leveled his gaze at Yunho. “We need to talk. Have a seat."

 

“She’s _lonely_. She’s been lonely for a really long time, and having two mated pairs pop up in the space of two days destroyed her. She’s _depressed_ , and I mean that seriously.”

“Seriously?” Junsu whispered.

“She can’t think straight because she knows she should be mortified, but she liked it. She liked that she felt what you did, and that she—got off on it,” Eric cleared his throat, “Horrifies her. But she doesn’t actually regret it. She’s afraid if she stays here it’s just going to get worse.”

“Wait, what does that mean?” Yunho’s hands were trembling because he knew. _Losing a wolf to another pack is never easy_. 

“She’s going with you,” Jaejoong realized.

“Yes. I’m going to get her a psychologist and I’m going to find people to take her out on dates, even if I have to do it myself.”

“But,” Yunho was struggling, “But I want to help her. I should help her.”

“You should have realized it earlier,” Eric said, in a tone that made Yunho drop his gaze to the floor in submission. “You’re the best Alpha I have, but your pack has an uncanny ability to hide things from one another. And you need to fix that. It will be bad news bears for you if you don’t. That’s a threat, by the way. For both of you.”

Jaejoong swallowed.

“I’ll fix it.”

“You will,” Eric said. “But I don’t think it’s going to happen until you deal with Ara.”

 

“You think this is my fault. Because I didn’t tell Yunho we were mates until now.”

Eric appraised him. “Partly, yes. No, don’t be mad, Yunho. Because Jaejoong held in his feelings, and because they had to do with _you_ , the pack imitated him. Unconsciously, of course, and now that you’re out in the open and airing your locked rooms, everyone else is starting to do the same thing. It’s technically not Jaejoong’s fault, but this is happening as a result of his actions, however indirectly. No one is mad at you, nor should they be. But this just goes to show you that keeping secrets from a pack breaks it down from the inside. My point is, I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

Jaejoong gave a barely imperceptible nod. He suddenly felt like a two year caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

“Yoona,” Jaejoong called.

“Go away.”

“I’ll face the wall and you can face the other wall and you won’t have to look at me. Please let me in. I won’t order you or force you or anything. But I really want to talk.”

He let her stew it over and waited, chewing his bottom lip and keeping his face straight as he heard her get up from the bed and unlock the door.

“You don’t have to face away form me,” she said, but she didn’t look at him, keeping her gaze trained on the carpet.

“Can I sit?” Jaejoong asked, and she nodded. She had a huge armchair in her room, one that had been her grandmother’s and was now at least fifty years old. She had never told her family what she was, too afraid of what they’d say, and sometimes Jaejoong got the impression she regretted that. Even though the entire pack had been against it, she had chosen to fake her own death. Yoochun had told Jaejoong about how Yunho had brought her to her own funeral to watch her parents bury a body they thought was their child. That she was having psychological difficulty now wasn’t at all hard to believe. “Will you sit with me?”

 

“Eric got very angry at Yunho, just so you know. We’ve both been properly chastised.”

“Not your fault,” Yoona mumbled.

“Well it certainly isn’t yours,” Jaejoong said, “I hope you know that.”

She went silent and Jaejoong had an urge to rock her like a child. “Eric’s pack will be good for you. And to you. Lots of handsome wolves for you to date.”

She snorted, but he felt that she was anticipating it, at least minimally.

 

(Just a note, Yoona was supposed to go to Eric’s pack to get away from Yunjae after the porn broadcasting incident, but Jinki convinced her to stay at the last minute by kissing her. They had sex afterwards, and yes. You know the rest.)


End file.
